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Listen to your house and find its ideal tenant

Renting out a house isn't something to take lightly. To care for it, you'll have to listen carefully to what it has to tell you — or maybe just read our tips.

Tenant
Tenant · Photo: Vida en Yucatán

Renting out a house isn’t something to take lightly. To care for it, you’ll have to listen carefully to what it has to tell you — or maybe just read our tips…

If you have a house in Mérida and you’re looking to find the ideal tenant, here are some tips so that doesn’t become mission impossible.

Today, more and more people are looking to rent a house in Mérida. The best way to be a successful landlord is to be prepared for some issues that can arise with tenants. Among the most common problems are: unpaid rent, disturbing noise or damage to the property. To spare yourself those upsets, here’s how to find the ideal tenant.

9 tips to find the ideal tenant

Use a real estate agent

While it’s true you can rent out a house in Mérida on your own using sites like Craigslist or Airbnb, sometimes it’s better to invest a bit more and hire a real estate agent.

They’re also the best option if you want to sell a house in Mérida, since they can advise you on costs, procedures and paperwork.

On the other hand, if you’re thinking of buying a house in Mérida, these professionals are welcome too.

Ask for proof of income

Around 20 percent of tenants tend not to pay the full rent or fall behind on payments because they spend too much of their income on renting a home. That’s why it’s recommended to ask for proof of income to check that the applicant can pay the rent properly and on time.

Check references

One of the best ways to screen potential tenants is to contact their previous landlords. Ask whether the person paid rent on time, was easy to reach and left the home in good condition. This point is also valid if you want to sell a house in Mérida.

Interview your tenants

Get to know the tenants before signing a lease. Try to make it an informal interview, where you can assess some important criteria.

Corroborate their story through social media

You can often get an idea of people by quickly searching for them on Google and checking their social profiles like Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. For example, they might have said they work at company X, but when you look on LinkedIn there’s no evidence of it and their professional history doesn’t back it up either.

Ask for a security deposit

Asking for a security deposit guarantees a financial cushion in case the tenant damages the property. Just make sure to keep to the agreements and return the money properly and on time if there’s no kind of damage.

Rent to a maximum of two people per bedroom

The more people you have in your property, the greater the noise and wear on the facilities. Although there are no specific rules about the number of occupants per bedroom, it’s generally reasonable to consider a maximum of two people per bedroom. If you’re thinking of selling a house in Mérida, keep that point in mind too.

Comply with the law

While it’s perfectly acceptable to make sure someone can pay the rent each month, it’s illegal to consider other factors. That is, you can’t discriminate on the basis of race or colour, nationality, religion, disability or marital status. Also, as a landlord you must fulfil your obligations when applicable.

Trust your instincts

You can do all the projecting in the world, but sometimes your instincts are the best judges. When you meet a tenant, you may feel something strange and not click with them. If so, trust your perceptions and don’t ignore your instinct. If you’re selling a house in Mérida, keep it in mind too.

Have you noted how you can find the ideal tenant?

You may also be interested in: The 3 best areas to live in Mérida.

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