I don't seem to be able to do this successfully. And yes a few times i have had sucess, but most times it's really just not possible, mostly cause i don't spend time developing resources, give it time, and I know I am loosing money because of it. But if the person can't be found to serve papers, then i can just charge for every thing in my lease and go thru all the accounting of the security deposit and be in compliance with my state law and still be out the money. Seems to be getting worst. I just rented a house and asked for double deposit and that is going to me my new business plan and I don't seem to have any positioning no matter what the contract reads. Not just with tenant's/residence but with handyman contractors too. I don't like the feeling.

When you screen people--- prospects and handymen--- what do you look at?

One of the difficult things I had trouble with at first-- and still have trouble with-- was being able to separate middle-class income from middle-class values, if that makes sense? So you have people in a poor town who are pulling in $75-$100k salaries... but making the poor life choices you'd expect more to find with someone in the dregs of society. Do you need to start screening on credit, or are you set up in a poor, rural area where anyone with good credit is going to be a homeowner, and you do your best with those who are left over?

Another thing is the adage that you buy the house that the people you want to rent to want to live in. Bad people want to live in good houses in good neighborhoods, but good people are less likely to want to go the other direction. Sometimes if they're super-thrifty and with a long term plan, they'll live beneath their means because they want to accomplish x... but it's not something that's common enough to depend on running into those treasures. :P Looking at your house, why is it consistently attracting trouble? Is there something you can do about it? If not, you might look at selling it and reinvesting the money into something that appeals to more dependable people.

It's a frustrating feeling, and expensive too.

Here's a couple things I've used that seem to help me:

* For tenants:

Cosigner. Guarantor. (There are some companies out there that might help in this regard.)

*ONLY deal with tenants that are collectable.

*ONLY deal with tenants that are above starter type jobs - that have been in their job or trade for 5 years MINIMUM and preferably 10 years or more. Ones that are going to stay working and are not going to quit.

*Check with insurance companies that provide bonding and see if you can get a performance bond on the tenant to cover both performance and damages, if any. I think there are some companies that do this.

* Get several "emergency contacts" that are real.

* Get all the things that allow you to trace them if they skip out or disappear.

For handymen and contractors:

* Get their contractors license , copy it, verify it through the state.

* If no license, find out why as some types of work don't require them.

* Check and verify insurance by calling the insurance company and also get a letter from the insurance company verifying the insurance. Many handymen just don't have it. Some, when you ask, say yes even though they have none. Or they have auto insurance and say it's the kind you need.

* Know that if they have no insurance that you likely have no way to collect.

* Verify worker's comp the same way. This is one of the most frequent types they don't have. Same with liability insurance.

* Understand that real contractors are expensive because of all the insurance and other requirements. One of the hardest things I had to come to accept was this. You can do 100 jobs with no insurance or no licensed people and save a ton of money, but the next one job can erase all that money you saved and more.

* Once you accept this, it changes the way you buy places. You MUST make better deals (buy for lower prices) to allow for real contractors to do repairs. Sometimes you will be outbid by others who use unlicensed and uninsured people. I say, better to lose some deals than to be driven into bankruptcy by a lawsuit.

* If you are willing to chance it and accept the liability you can hire workers through a temp help agency like Labor Ready. They cover the workers comp and the tax filings and they pay the workers. You pay them.

Also, if hiring handymen:

* Find out where they live so you can drive to their house to see them if necessary, or to have them served.

* Demand to see their tools. Do they have any? Ladders? Scaffolds? Truck? Business card? People that don't have even these are not real handymen.

*Also understand the courts are often not sympathetic to landlords, ESPECIALLY if the handyman has a story (they all do) or is a protected class or minority. I've personally been on the receiving end of this when a handyman from another country ripped me off. I identified him to the police and court and they said "He is fleeing from opression in his country and we are exempting him from any prosecution". I was out $3000 and he just laughed at me along with the judge.They did nothing and protected his theiving.

I was very lucky. As an owner of income property I asked advice from other landlords and joined a Apartment Association. Going to trade shows and events I learned a lot. I'm also a licensed contractor that loves to work for professional landlords. They were a good resource for information.

But at the end of the day I had to decide for myself how I was going to handle tenants, deposits, destruction and monies owed me.

I realized that money owed was less important than fixing up the rental and finding a new great tenant. Once the rentals was fixed and rented, I could chase after dead beat tenants.

I conduct an inspection of my rentals long before a tenant leaves. I make notes and give the tenant a list of my repairs and deposit deductions. They sign a copy of this documents and have the option to try to fix things for less.

After the tenant moves, I have 21 days to account for the repairs and send the tenant an accounting plus any money owed to them. If the tenant doesn't provide a forwarding address, I can mail the refund to their old apartment, my property. I get a proof a mailing.

If the tenant owes me money, I sent them a demand letter. Then if not paid I can sue them in small claims court. Get a default judgement and go after them for debt collection. OR, I can just right the losses off and spend my time enjoying swimming in the pool, getting a tan and spending time with the family and friends...

Whenever possible, we file in court for damages. We may never get the money, but you might someday, especially if they go to buy or sell a home in the same jurisdiction (county / parish).

Then they have to pay up before they can do either. Twice in the last year, we had judgements from 5-10 years ago on renters that broke their lease. They went on to buy houses, and when the time came to want to sell those houses, they had to pay us, in order to sell them.

Sometimes having the judgement on the books at least notifies other landlords that they are a significant risk. It helps us turn down a LOT of deadbeats, because they have screwed everyone else over.

It seems like in the last few years that contacts do not mean anything to tenants. It is almost like they are not worth the paper they are printed on to them. We usually give a little pep talk to first time renters, that the lease they are signing is a legal contract, but we think it falls on deaf ears.

Unless, of course, they "think" the LL is not living up to their end of the bargain! LOL!

I advise you scrap your current showing, screening, lease signing procedures. Scrap your current lease too, buy Brads lease, don’t soften it up.

I have been at this LL for a long time, the game always changes over time, but enough changes have occurred in the past 5 years to warrant major changes in the old tried and true methods.

I used to open the door for prospective tenants, and look inside their car, and accept the false premise that renters Usually have bad credit.

I dealt with a dozen evictions some years, oh yeah, I thought There was no use to pursue collecting on my judgements either.

The past 4 years has seen my court action drop to 1 per year. Stop kidding yourself about your need to make an exception to approve the tenancy. You will make better decisions when you don’t meet them and have their application and credit bureaus delivered to your inbox.

IMHO, raising your security deposit requirements will lose you far more than it will save you.