Tenant test: how to select ideal tenants for your apartment

10 October 2023 Blog

Does the ideal tenant exist?

Searching online you will be able to find plenty of sites ready to give you a list of characteristics your tenant must have to be considered the “perfect tenant.” What we suggest, is that you should not dwell on the concept of the ideal tenant, because the reality that perhaps no one tells you, is that it does not exist. It is a misconception, and as an IDEA it is something that is not real, something that therefore is not.

However, let’s not lump all tenants together; surely there are tenants who come very close to our idea of the ideal tenant, but they will certainly never reach our all-around idea. We are not telling you this to discourage you; on the contrary, it is precisely to make you aware of the fact that all of this search could be facilitated thanks to the work of companies like ours: we will be the ones interfacing directly with the possible tenant, whether it is short-term or long-term.

In this article, however, we will try to give you some tips for reading even the small signs, all those behaviors and mannerisms that might let us know whether the person in front of us might be our ideal tenant.

Short-term or long-term rentals: how the tenant changes

Short-term rentals are the most flexible types of rentals and therefore will inevitably bring in more work because the turnover of tenants will be greater. But it is precisely because of this characteristic that you will surely learn how to identify the best tenants for your rental home.

But who are the main short-term renters? Again, this is a generalization, but it tends to be the case that the people who are most suitable for short term rentals are: tourists, expatriate workers. These are people who do not require an extended stay, usually not exceeding 30 days.

The question arises, however: why don’t these types of renters choose to go to a hotel or hostel? Well the answer seems just as easy: because with a home they can have more privacy, greater comfort and sense of freedom, as well as the fact that it might be more cost-effective. Then there is also the issue of flexibility, which is no small thing for travelers, and also the feeling of having a truer, more insider‘s experience.

On the other hand, as far as medium-term renting is concerned, we can assume that the type of tenant who is most suitable for this type of rental is a person who needs to stay for an extended period of time in a place: an example might be workers who temporarily move away from home, or even students on erasmus. Precisely because of the need to stay for an extended time, very different needs may arise than in the short term: constant maid service, furnished apartments complete with dishes.

The good tenant

As said before, talking about the perfect tenant is not our style, we mainly want to give you host tips that will allow you to get to know better the person you are going to interface with, your future tenant.

The 1st tip we want to give you is to talk to the prospective tenant: having a face-to-face approach allows you to notice things that by email or message become really impossible to decipher. This way you will also have a chance to chat about topics beyond the contract to be signed.

A 2nd tip, perhaps the most practical one, is to ask for collateral: documents proving financial reliability. This may sound unempathetic as advice, and indeed it is, but it could certainly help you sleep soundly.

Then we also want to give you a 3rd tip: pay attention to details. We know, it’s not easy, but there are many small details that might give away something more about the prospective tenant: an example is whether he is punctual and precise in his response, how he moves around the house when he first sees it, whether he is curious and asks a lot of questions. All of these become valuable clues that will help you understand who you are looking at.

These were pre-contract advice, there are then other notices that can confirm or overturn your opinion: is he on time with payment? Is he respectful of the environment? If there are problems, does he communicate them to you in time? Has he ever broken anything without saying anything?

In short, the world of renting is sometimes better than a soap opera: there are episodes that might make you cringe as well as laugh out loud funny. To summarize a little of what we have tried to tell you in this article, we want to reassure you that finding a tenant might seem like a mission impossible, and sometimes it is, but do not despair! Agencies such as ours were created specifically for these needs: to help homeowners enter into short- or medium-term leases: we take care of everything, from the search aspect to the bureaucratic one, without you having to worry about anything. Should you need more information, do not hesitate to contact us, we are at your disposal for any questions, and in the meantime you can discover our reality.