Great tips for landlords.
Be wary of tenants who want to pay rent up front - does it mean they're spendthrift and can't hold on to money? Or they want to limit contact because they want to set up a grow-op?
Look inside their car - is it full of garbage? (Their apartment will be also.)
Ask them how many animals they have. Don't ask "Do you have animals," which is not allowed, instead, presume they have animals and ask "how many" which, in an underhanded way, is not the same invasion of privacy.
Reject people who claim their animal is going to be living somewhere else - they will unfailingly bring it to their apartment.
Prevent people from stealing your photos to scam people out of rent based on your legitimate photos. To prevent this, watermark your photos with your phone number, and scammers will move on to other photos to steal.
Don't put the exact address in the ads, only the cross streets which gives prospective renters enough of an idea of the neighborhood. Believe it or not, scammers will go to the address, change the locks, falsely advertise your property, accept someone's deposit/rent money and disappear...you're left with no money, a bewildered tenant who's lost hundreds of dollars and doesn't want to leave. At 2:33 she describes the scam in detail.
Don't grab a pre-written lease off the internet. You need a watertight lease written by your lawyer that specifically complies with local laws, and covers things like smoking, pets, parking, painting the walls, and other issues that may not be covered by a generic lease.
Have the tenant initial beside every paragraph as you read the entire lease to them, so they can't later claim they didn't read it.
Write everything down - you never know when you might need it, and proof you have kept good records may be crucial. Note that communication by text message may not be accepted by courts as adequate communication - to be sure, send it by mail. Registered mail if there's an issue or dispute with the tenant.
