How did you approach the process of tenants?

[Jared Chenel]

I have a couple of questions about starting to look for tenants and general questions about them.

1. Do you have a lawyer draw up a solid lease agreement or do you do it yourself? 
   • Did you use a template for this?
   • Where do you find these templates if so?
2. Do you charge first and last months rent up front like most? 
   • Do you work with them are you more strict? (I guess can depend on the landlord, location, situation etc.)
3. Where have you found most success in finding quality tenants?
   • Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow, Facebook?

I had a couple others, but am drawing a blank so I will ask them later.

Thanks!

[Karl B.]

Hello. My lease comes from my local Apartment Association. They included it for free when I joined and it's catered toward my local laws - very in-depth and good. If you have a local Apartment Association I'd urge you to join - lots of benefits. 

I only charge first months rent and a security deposit. It's the standard to my local market; your local market might be different as in stronger rental markets landlords can get 1st month, last month and a security deposit. 

Zillow Rental Manager tends to have the best qualified tenants but posting in local Facebook groups gets me the most responses (though a lot of the people who contact me apparently fail to read the rental qualification information as a lot don't meet the required credit score).