Renting out rooms is an excellent method to put your vacant property to use and make some decent income out of it. Some people rent out rooms in their residence to find a companion to share the place. Shared housing allows students and young professionals to find affordable accommodation in the city and save some money. As a landlord, you may list rooms for rent on various platforms, but it is best to post rooms for rent on a roommate finder to find a tenant efficiently.
When you list out rooms for rent online, one of the major concerns is the type of tenant applications you may encounter. Shortlisting the potential tenants can be time-consuming as you get various applications from people with different backgrounds. The simple solution to reduce the number of irrelevant applications is to keep the listing on point while putting you list rooms for rent on roommate finders. Mentioning what you look for in a tenant and describing the rental property might help when you post rooms for rent. Furthermore, using roommate finders that help you put certain filters on the property would surely help you find a suitable tenant. As a first time landlord, you may get confused about what exactly to ask the applicants and how to shortlist them. One of the suggested ways is to interview the applicants over a call and shortlist on broad categories and later take a detailed interview of the potential tenants.
To help you choose the right tenant for your rental, we curated seven must-ask questions while interviewing potential tenants.
- When do you plan to move in?
- Why are you moving in the rental?
- Do you smoke or drink?
- Do you have good references?
- Why are you leaving your last place?
- Do you have a history of getting evicted?
- What is your monthly income?
1. When do you plan to move in?
As a landlord, you might need to fix the rental property for the tenant in terms of utilities and repairs. This question would give you a rough idea of planning the repairs and getting them done before the tenant moves in. You would also wish for the tenant to move at the earliest as no landlord likes their rental property vacant.
2. Why are you moving in the rental?
The purpose of the move-in must be convincing, and you need to be alert for this part. If the tenant claims to be a student, you must check the college ID to confirm the story. Please don’t fall for anything until you check the Government-issued ID. Your potential tenants are strangers who would live in your property for a significant time, and you must know the purpose of their stay.
3. Do you smoke or drink?
It is a must-ask question when you put out rooms for rent in your residence. Undoubtedly you would have your preferences when it comes to smoking or drinking, and you won’t want a smoker as a tenant when you are a non-smoker. Giving clarity on these details right from the beginning would help you choose the ideal tenant conveniently.
4. Do you have good references?
References from previous or current landlords would surely help when choosing a tenant. You may contact the previous landlords and get a review about the potential tenant. Good references mean the tenant is trustworthy, pays the rent on time, and is a good tenant.
5. Why are you leaving your last place?
If they live in the same city and are moving to a new place, you might want to ask them why they are leaving the home they are living in currently. Are they being evicted or looking for upgrades and better places? You even ask them how many rentals they have lived in so far and the duration of stay in each. If you feel that they are hoping properties and are unstable, you may want to cross them out.
6. Do you have a history of getting evicted?
Were they ever evicted, and why? No tenant would tell their fault or what they did wrong. You may ask them for the reference or their rental history to find out.
7. What is your monthly income?
Ideally, the tenant should earn three times the rent. You may want to ask them about their salary and ask for a salary stub for confirmation. No landlord would wish for a tenant who can’t pay rent. In case the tenant is a student, make sure they have a cosigner for the lease agreement.
We hope these questions will help you find a suitable tenant. Ensure that you post rooms for rent on a trusted roommate finder with a decent privacy policy. Additionally, while you post rooms for rent online, do not reveal or share any personal information. Make sure you clear all the doubts about the tenant and have a lease agreement ready.
