All Forum Posts by: Christopher Morris

You can also check out the Ultimate Guide to Screening Tenants written by Brandon Turner.

One year lease.  Sometimes a swipe For Rent sign in the yard is enough and a lot of folks use Zillow in their searches.  Other factors:

1. Be sure to set your tenant criteria first.  Minimum credit score, employment history/length, more.  This ensures that you have criteria that is not subject to a violation of the Fair Housing Act (discrimination claim).  And, have condi photos of the property pre-tenant taken to evidence condition.

2. Screen only qualified tenants; this also means doing an online verification of their employment and past residence. Google those...falsification of applications is common. They will have a friend take phone calls to verify employment and past residence. Address searches have shown people living at Taco Bell and working at a vacant lot address. And, check their social media and more...if the guy has an online profile that is not in keeping with who he says he is, it's a safe bet that his online persona is what you'll end up with.

3.  It's worth having an online application associated with a screening resourse. The cost is nothing - as you can pass it on to the prospective tenant. This along with your online search is a minimum vetting process.  

4.  You need a real lease - and an Addendum which outlines in plain language what the rules of the property are.  If you're allowing pets, you'll need a pet addendum as well.  And, the tenant signs the lease first - then you as the landlord to accept it.  

Marketing a rental is the easy part. Selecting a quality tenant and protecting your investment - those are the real drivers.

Hope this helps.  

Hi Christopher! 

BiggerPockets has an annual conference that is great for investors of all experience levels. It will take place in Orlando from October 15-17 and there are still spots available, however, it does sell out every year! 

You can find all of the info including the agenda, speaker lineup, pricing, room block info, and more here: BiggerPockets.com/Conference

What I like to do is find other real estate investors on the meetup app. You can search by interests and location. It could be a good option for you to locate like-minded individuals and professionals no matter where you decide to invest in the country. I'm in Northern NJ and I found 3 groups on there. It's helped keep me immersed and focused on my real estate journey. Give the app a shot, it may help you make solid connections. Good luck!