Landlord Questionaire for Tenants

[Angeline Mentor]

Hello All, 

I am a new landlord. I will be screening tenants in a C-Class neighborhood. Please share any pertinent questions or software I should utilize to find the "best" tenants for this area in New Jersey. 

What are some pitfalls to look out for? I know there are tenants that are professionals and want to avoid those types. 

Thanks for the feedback in advance

[Linda S.]

@Angeline Mentor,

Only screen the ones that pay for the background/credit check, you will weed out 95% of them, and then can focus on the ones that really want your rental!   Until they have paid, they aren't really serious IMO.

"Why are you moving" -- "How long have you been at your job?" ---   those questions tell you a lot, does it make sense as to why they are moving now,  and do they have job/income stability?  

Red flags include:  "my landlord wants to sell the house"--   "my landlord died"---  "my landlord won't fix anything" --- those are code words for "I'm being evicted for nonpayment".... another one is "the pay stub system is down" ... that actually means "I don't have a job"   you need to learn the basic translator skills of C/D landlording!