What is your ideal tenant?

Married, single, kids, no kids, pets, no pets, young, old, professional, blue collar....the list goes on.

I currently have all of these demographics in my units, and I have vetted them all. I am a fortunate man and I have great tenants.

Q-OUT

Someone with a credit score over 600, steady job record with 3X income to rent, doesn't smoke, has good landlord references.

I don't put square pegs into round holes.

If if have a 2 bedroom ranch style place that might be well maintained but a it dated - should I look for what ever I called an ideal tenant for my last place? Nope that place might have been a 4 bedroom 2 bath place.

So I look at the highest and best use of any single property. a dated 2/1 screams Grandma & Grandpa. I will market it at the senior center during BINGO maybe.

For that 4/2 place, it might be ideal for large families or maybe the local restaurant that hires migrant employees. Nothing says that ideal tenant can't be a business.

45-50 y/o warehouseman married to 45-50 year old office worker. Grown children who have a different address from their parents. $80k-$95k gross income.

This is a great question. I can tell you my worst.... Single mom CNA with 3 kids, by that I mean, lots of expense/sickness, few benefits/low pay.

Right now I have a:

Single mom, 2 kids, cake decorator @ grocery store.

Truck driver, fast food worker, 2 kids.

2 females, car parts salesperson, hotel cleaner, 1 kid.

Retired college professor.

Single mom, one grown daughter with her, dispatcher for law enforcement.

Single man, McDonald's.

Couple with one child, office worker & local prison worker.

Couple with 2 kids, landscaper & housekeeper for college.

Single guy works for paving company

Couple with 2 kids, social service worker & prison worker.

Single mom, one child, disability.

Single man, daughter, both prison workers.

Single man, one child, golf equipment worker (IT)

Single woman, one child, USPS worker.

Couple, house cleaner, Distribution center worker, 2 kids.

Single woman, no kids, LPN

Single man, one grown son, Pastor & horse farrier on the side.

Single woman, RN

Couple, no kids, both prison workers.

Single woman, one child, social services worker

6, ties to the area, stability not impulsive,and a support network for job placement, advancement …. Certainly doesn’t guarantee successful leaseholders but is a lot better than the loner.

My ideal tenant and how to find them:

* Pays the rent in full, on time, all the time. - credit report, background references, employment and income verification

* Keeps the property in good condition and reports legit issues as soon as noticed. - 2-minute in home inspection

* Good neighbor. - background report; social media screening

* Cooperative. - observed throughout the screening process

Other details may be interesting, but to me are ultimately irrelevant.

I am with Ray on this.

Each property has it's best niche tenant.

I put a single mother with 14 and 2 year old daughters into a 2/1 apartment. No way would I have considered putting her into my 4/1 out in the country where she covers all utilities and yard work. If it was open and she wanted it sure, but I wouldn't market it to her per say.

I'm really happy to have a married couple, with a clean well behaved dog, and that have been homeowners in the past and will be a homeowner again in the future. They are stable and they know how to take care of a house and they will inform me as soon as anything needs repair so I can deal with it immediately, which is what I want.

There are other tenants who are good tenants that I have been happy with.

Totally agree that having ties to the area, including church ties, can be a plus. However, do NOT ask the question directly - “Where do you attend Church?" (especially on your application or any written communication). I would guess that most of you would not, but I am saying this to others who may be reading the discussion and not know of the potential problem in doing so because of fair housing implications.

Sisco, nooooooo do not ask where they attend church! Fair Housing Fair Housing Fair Housing Fair Housing Fair Housing eek.

1 They may not attend "church" but a mosque or synagogue or no church at all. RELIGION is one of the 7 major tenets of Fair Housing!

2 LOCAL ain't always better...my area, I much prefer transplants to those who grew up here for a whole plethora of reasons. Drugs, Alcohol and Petty Crime history being far too prevalent among our locals.