It may sound bad, but a potential tenants asking why and how the selection process works, I wouldn’t be happy about it. You don’t have to explain anything.
Answering your questions:
All tenants should be interested on is the tenancy terms and conditions. Full stop. Only reply to question in relation to the tenancy and the property. Remember, this is your property, your money, your investment and as such must be safeguarded, so concentrate on the result of your searches, check and check again when not sure and not conformable, keep looking for potential candidate. So yes, carry on with viewing and do not accept deposit until you fully satisfy with references (money do not last longer without a steady income).
That means that based on your criteria you will eventually find a good tenant without incurring in the situation to regret to have chosen the wrong one.
Feel free to reply if find the love useful.
I agree if someone really wants the property they will know to keep you sweet, its a two way thing
We have a screening questionnaire that we use before viewings.
I liked the sound of the people who became our tenants straight away. They answered the questionnaire fully, even providing information I hadn’t asked, and explaining fully why they were leaving their previous rental (too small and wanted one close to city centre). They also providied more ID than I’d asked for.
On the day of the viewing they were polite and respectful and when I explained that there were other people to view, were disappointed but just re-iterated that they really wanted it and could I keep them informed, I said certainly. They were my favourites by far at this point.
We didn’t find anyone better in the following three viewings, so I told them we would be taking up references. I think they paid their holding deposit at this point, taking the flat off the market, but if they’d failed the referencing, I would have offered it to my second favourite.
They have been in nearly a year now and pay their rent in full and on time. I have not yet done an inspection, because of COVID but have done a drive-by and all seems fine (from the little you can tell from three windows with blinds up them!).
You seem happy with them but if you did want an inspection I ask for them to video the house.
I am doing this now, pre-screening as much as possible followed by my questions. When people were applying they were just applying and not giving any other information. The few that did were top of my list, anyway I followed up with my questions to ask things like, please confirm you meet the salary expectations, who will be living in the property, you or you and your partner, any children, how long at current address and why leaving… These are all questions I would normally ask on a viewing so might as well ask them here.
Then I decide who I want do the viewing and find out more inform like how long for and anything they havn’t mentioned.
If they are suitable then they go through to credit checks, any lies and they’re out.
I don’t ask for any more viewings as that would be unfair and wastes peoples time.
Before I did viewings with everyone until I found a suitable match then didn’t view any more until that failed checks etc…
Now I only view the one I want,…its like going for a job…application - interview = job
I usually combine the inspection with the gas check, particularly if the tenants are working.
That way I ensure the gas check is done on time as well as seeing the house and keeping inconvenience to the tenants to a minimum.
Hello,
I’m not a landlord but am a tenant. As people have said, it is your property that you’re renting out to potential tenants, therefore if you refuse a security deposit because one of the potential tenants likes the property then that is completely ok!
A couple of years ago myself and my partner had a viewing booked for a property which from the photos we both loved, but it was cancelled last minute because people who had booked a viewing earlier on that day did exactly that, and offered the landlord the deposit there and then.
A week or so later we got a call saying that the property was back on the market as the couple failed their references, so myself and my partner and anyone else who had viewings booked that day missed out (we ended up finding a property elsewhere). So I would say that from a tenants point of view, it is better to allow everybody who has booked a viewing a chance to see your property, that way it is fair on you as you shouldn’t be pressurised to take your property off of the market, and it gives other potential tenants a chance to put in an application.
Hope this helps!