How to Deal with Problematic Tenants Series (Part 3): The Professional

Source: Photo by Burgess Milner on Unsplash

Picture this: tenants who wear the title of "professional" like a badge of honor, but in reality, they are nothing more than crafty scammers, preying on unsuspecting landlords.

These conniving individuals sign leases with no intention of ever paying rent, exploiting their knowledge of the law to their advantage. They leave you hanging, months behind on rent until you file for eviction. And even then, they only offer partial payments, playing a never-ending game of cat and mouse.

It's a battle that drains your bank account, wastes your time, and tests your resilience. But fear not, for in this riveting installment, we will equip you with the tools to outsmart these professional villains and emerge victorious!

1. Screen with X-Ray Vision

Thoroughly screening tenants is your first line of defense against professional scammers. Keep a sharp eye out for these red flags during the screening process:

• - Fake identities or the use of relatives' or friends' identities
• - Suspicious, incomplete, or missing references
• - Financial records indicating bankruptcies, judgments, or bad credit
• - Recent legal proceedings, including filed evictions that never went through
• - Extensive knowledge of landlord-tenant laws
• - Unexplainable gaps in their rental history
• - The all-too-convincing sob story, designed to tug at your heartstrings

Verify every piece of information they provide. Dig deeper, validate their identity, authenticate their references, interview past landlords, and cross-check their employment, bank, criminal, court, and credit records. 

Create an aura of strictness around your lease agreements to deter professional tenants, letting them know you won't tolerate late or partial payments.

2. Stay Vigilant for Telltale Signs

If a professional tenant slips through your initial screening, keep your senses sharp and be on the lookout for their cunning tactics:

• - Manipulating Your Empathy: They continue their sob story or fabricate new tales of family illnesses, using your compassion to delay rent payment. "Just two more weeks!" they plead, as they weave a web of deception.
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• - Partial Payments: When weeks pass without payment, they offer only a fraction of what is due. Caught in a bind, you reluctantly accept the partial amount, unknowingly relinquishing your leverage until the following month (according to state laws). They exploit this weakness, pushing the boundaries as far as they can.
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• - Cash Payments Only: Like villains in a movie, they prefer untraceable cash payments. With this method, they can deceive you about making payments, forge receipts, and present a scarcity of evidence when the two of you face off in court.
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• - Uninhabitable Claims: They exaggerate minor issues with the property, claiming it is uninhabitable and withholding rent as a result. They may even deliberately damage the premises to substantiate their claims. This tactic is their ammunition during court hearings, leading to further postponements.

The earlier you spot them, the faster you’ll be in preventing any serious problems down the road.

3. Managing the Professional Scoundrels

Dealing with professional tenants requires a strategic approach to keep them in check and protect your interests. Here's how you can manage their manipulative behavior:

• - Embrace Skepticism: Take their stories with a grain of salt. Maintain a business mindset, separating emotions from decisions. Remember, you're their landlord, not their therapist.
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• - Enhance Your Screening Process: Strengthen your tenant screening process to weed out concerning applicants. Document every step of the screening process to safeguard yourself against future disputes.
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• - Confront with Confidence: If professional tenants continue to evade full payments, confront them assertively. Provide reasonable notice before visiting the property, but ensure you investigate their financial situation. Can they realistically afford to pay rent in full? Explore their options and remind them of the legal consequences if they persist in delaying payment. Be firm and serious about potential eviction.
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• - Follow the Law: Adhere strictly to legal procedures and seek assistance from an attorney. The law should be on your side, not the professional tenant's. Stay committed to your systems and lease agreements, refusing to accept late or partial payments. Keep detailed records of the property's condition prior to its tenancy, as this documentation will support your case in court.
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• - Consider Professional Help: Dealing with professional tenants can be time-consuming and emotionally draining. If you prefer to avoid handling them directly, consider hiring a professional property management company (PMC). A PMC can objectively screen tenants, protect you from being swayed by sob stories, and professionally handle any necessary legal proceedings.

Working with a PMC offers an alternative approach to dealing with professional tenants effectively. We’ve seen it all—we guarantee—and we know how to handle these problematic tenants.

Professional Renter? Well, You’re a Professional Landlord

You have now equipped yourself with the knowledge to outsmart professional scammers in the tenant realm. By screening diligently, remaining vigilant for their tactics, and managing them strategically, you can protect yourself from their deceitful schemes.

Stay tuned for the final part of our series, where we will tackle the last category of problematic tenants. Share your experiences with professional tenants and how you dealt with them, as we continue to empower landlords everywhere!

Get in touch if you need more expert insights on handling tenants. We know it can be hard. That’s why with two decades of experience operating in the Metro Detroit area, we’re more than willing to share our knowledge with you. My inbox is open—shoot me a message.