There is nothing like moving into a great new place. It’s a better commute, near all the great hangout places you enjoy, and you seem to have a good rapport with the landlord. Now about that last part, it is a business relationship. You need a place to live and the landlord is trying to make money off of the property. So how can you keep the good vibes going?
Here are a few quick tips on how to be a great tenant:
Check Your Credit It is a good idea to check your credit before becoming a tenant. Good credit reflects your ability to pay bills on time, any debt you may have, as well as how much. High credit scores indicate you are financially responsible. It also allows you to rent the place you want vs the place that will accept you.
Check your credit to make sure there are no surprises or errors. If you find an error, check with the credit reporting company on how to dispute it.
Read Your Lease Before they sign, great tenants make sure they read and understand all the terms and conditions within the lease agreement. As a tenant, it is your responsibility to learn all expectations and abide by them. Great tenants will not intentionally break the terms of the lease. By reading the lease, it allows you to ask questions and get clarification on things in the lease and prevent a problem before it starts. For example, if the lease states that pets are allowed only if registered, then a good tenant will register their dog instead of trying to keep the pet a secret.
Bonus: Oak City Properties makes signing your lease super easy with the online tenant portal!
Do a pre-move in walk-through It is a good idea to do a pre moving walk-through of the unit. Check everything from outlets and faucets to floors and walls. This way, maintenance can have everything perfect by the time you are ready to move in and it documents the state of the property at the time you take possession. Oak City Properties does this as a courtesy to you and the owners of all the properties they manage.
Submit Maintenance Requests in Writing Even a small maintenance issue can become a costly problem for the landlord. A great tenant will notify their landlord and submit all maintenance requests in writing when they see maintenance issues that need attention. You can easily submit maintenance requests in writing through the online tenant portal! Most property managers have an emergency request number in your lease. But things like clogged gutters or other non-urgent matters should be documented for the owner to get corrected.
Pay Your Rent on Time A great tenant always pays their rent on time each and every month. This is a business relationship after all. Oak City Properties makes this easy through the online tenant portal! Your landlord will appreciate these on time monthly payments as they may be used for mortgage payments and other high priority expenses.
Paying your rent on time is the obligation you agreed to when you signed the lease. It will also prevent financial burden on your landlord. If there is a circumstance that may hinder them from paying rent on time, a great tenant will notify their landlord immediately. Communication is key! If you have a history of paying rent on time, your landlord may allow you to pay rent a little late for that month, but there might be a fee for that. Remember that rent is always due on the first of each month, and late after the fifth.
Treat the Property as Your Own Although you are renting, it is ideal to treat the place like you own it. Great tenants will keep the rental clean, maintained, and damage free.
Communicate any maintenance issues that need to be resolved to your landlord in a timely manner. You would want to get things fixed as soon as possible as if it was an issue at your own place. But also ask for permission before making any changes to the property.
Get to Know Your Neighbors Great tenants would take the initiative to get to know the people living around them. Not only can this help resolve any minor issues that need to be settled, but it can also create strong relationships between neighbors. If possible, you and your neighbors can problem solve together, rather than get your landlord involved.
Anyone can be a great tenant if they are knowledgeable about their lease agreement, respectful when communicating to their landlord, and follow these simple rules.