Deciding Between 2 Tenants

[Jordon Doddy]

Hi Everyone!

Looking for input on past experiences with different types of tenants. 

Tenant 1 is a couple with a 3 year old daughter who wants to move in Jan 1 which would mean my unit would be vacant from now until then. They seem like they will stay for more than a year as they have pretty stable jobs, steady income and love the area.

Tenant 2 is a single male in his upper 30's and he just moved back to the area after a divorce. He is unsure what he wants to do in a year from now so risk is higher he will not re-sign for another year. He also does not currently have a job but is a union worker and his bank account has enough to pay more than  2 years rent. The biggest perk here is he is ready to move in next week so the place will be filled immediately and not vacant until Jan 1. However, his situation after one year is unknown.

In either scenario I am paying a realtor first months rent to fill the unit.

In your own previous experiences would you recommend going with a tenant who is single recently moved to the area or a family with a 3 year old? Taking in all aspects of this scenario (Vacancy, commitment, wear & tear, maintenance).

Thanks