Brief Description: There are seven common types of terrible tenants in Denver. As a landlord, you must know how to handle them effectively. We’ll show you how.
One factor that can separate a great landlord experience from a horrible one is the type of tenants that lease your property in Denver. It’s almost by random chance whether or not you’ll get great or terrible tenants.
While there are some things, you can do to prevent terrible tenants from renting your property in Denver, some slip through the cracks. We’ve determined there are seven common types of terrible tenants you could run into.
By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to handle each type and the secret to never having to interact with terrible tenants again.
1. The Destroyer
Some people are simply accidents waiting to happen. Everything they touch breaks. While these people may be clumsy and accidentally break things, the destroyer tenant is simply reckless in their ways.
These tenants have no regard for your property and will put holes in the walls without a second thought. Oftentimes these are rowdy college students and young tenants with a lot of energy. Now, keep in mind this is different from the normal wear and tear that may happen over time.
How to Handle Them
There are three ways you can handle tenants who may have a habit of damaging your property.
- Routine Inspections – Each month, walk through the property and examine if any damage has been done. Document each and every occurrence with photos.
- Collect Security Deposits – When the lease ends, you can use this deposit to cover any repairs that must be made.
- Add Rules to the Lease – Add a clause to the lease about damages and who is responsible for fixing/paying for them.
With these three solutions, you can prevent property damage from tenants. Plus, with the rules written in the lease, tenants will know you’re serious about damages from the very beginning.
2. The Late Payers
The last thing you want to do is chase your tenants down for rent each month. Unfortunately, late-paying tenants are more common than you may think. If you’re self-managing your property in Denver, it’s up to you to collect this rent.
The late payers will always have some type of excuse to give as to why the rent wasn’t paid on time. From waiting for a check to clear to simply forgetting to pay it, be careful of these stories.
How to Handle Them
Don’t settle for asking these terrible tenants to pay their rent each month. Instead, try the following tactics.
- Enforce a Late Fee – Tack on a $50 to $100 to the rent that is owed. This can also increase with each day it’s late.
- Find a Convenient Way to Collect Rent – 57% of renters say that an electronic payment option is important to them.
- Send Reminders – A friendly reminder via email or text can help you get your rent on time.
These simple methods are very effective when dealing with late-paying tenants.
3. The Noisy Neighbor
You may come in contact with a noisy tenant that disrupt the neighbors with loud music, parties, or however else they may spend their time. This can cause a lot of tension in the neighborhood and give you a bad name as a landlord.
How to Handle Them
Usually, you won’t know if a tenant is a noisy neighbor unless people come to you to complain. If this is the case, you’ll have to confront the tenant with a warning first.
However, there are ways to prevent noisy tenants.
- Set Noise Limits in the Lease – State when quiet hours are enforced in the lease.
- Reference Local Noise Ordinances – If the area has a noise restriction, cite it in the lease.
- Remind Them to be a Good Neighbor – Sometimes, a simple reminder about how to be a good neighbor and respect the area is enough to keep them under control.
If the issue becomes serious enough, you can result to evicting the tenant citing a breach in the lease.
4. The Host with the Most
We all know that one person who loves to have guests over for the weekend. But sometimes these guests can stay just a little too long. Some tenants may host friends for months at a time without adding the person to the lease.
This could cause liability issues for you if anything happens.
How to Handle Them
To ensure that only those who are listed on the lease are living in the property, try the following things.
- Perform Routine Inspections – Once a month or every other month, do a walkthrough of the apartment to inspect the living conditions.
- Limit Number of Guests – Add a limit to how many people are allowed in the property in the lease
- Limit Number of Nights – Add a limit of how many nights a guest may stay in the property in the lease
These methods should deter your tenants from breaking the rules and having guests live in the property without a lease.
5. The Pet Lover
Some landlords don’t allow pets in their properties, and for good reason. Pets tend to cause unnecessary damage if they are not properly trained. However, some tenants feel that they can sneak their pet in without the landlord ever knowing.
On the other hand, you may allow pets in your property, but the tenant lets them roam free and do as they please. This can cause a lot of damage to the house and cause you quite the headache.
How to Handle Them
When it comes to handling tenants who are pet lovers, there are a few things you can do to maintain control over the situation.
- Routine Inspections – Inspect any damage the pet may have caused or check if an unwelcomed pet is living in the property.
- Ask for an Extra Security Deposit – Also known as a pet deposit, ask the tenant to pay an extra deposit to cover any damage done by their pet to the property.
With these practices, you should be able to handle your pet loving tenant much better than letting the animal run free through the property.
6. The Criminal
There are some people who believe the laws don’t necessarily apply to them. These are also known as criminals.
You may encounter some tenants in Denver who choose not to follow the laws and conduct illegal activity in your property, such as selling drugs. This can cause major issues for you concerning liability.
How to Handle Them
If you discover illegal activity taking place in your property, you must be strategic and calm about your next steps.
- Consult a Lawyer or Professional – Talk about the course of action and next steps to getting the tenant out of your property.
- Call the Police – If there are serious illegal activities going on, call the authorities to remedy the situation.
In most cases, illegal acts by your tenant will result in an eviction from the property.
7. The Complainer
When something goes wrong in your Denver property, you’re the first person your tenant will call to come and fix it. While you are responsible for ensuring the property is habitable, and things are working correctly, some tenants may take advantage of this.
You may have a tenant who calls you for every little inconvenience, like changing a lightbulb. This can become quite irritating and a waste of your time.
How to Handle Them
You’re not a repairman; you’re a landlord. To ensure your tenants know this, do the following.
- Know Your Responsibilities – Become familiar with your responsibilities as a landlord according to local laws, such as what you must repair and what tenants can do themselves.
- Make a List of Maintenance Requests – Provide your tenants with a list of things can they can call you about and a list of things they must handle on their own.
These two tips will surely save you from receiving meaningless calls from the complainer tenants.
Never Handle a Terrible Tenant Again
What if you never had to handle or talk to a terrible tenant in Denver again? Now you can!
KeyRenter Denver is the area’s leading property management company, and we’re here to save you from terrible tenants once and for all. With our thorough tenant screening process, we filter out the terrible tenants from the excellent ones.
Plus, you’ll never come in contact with them because we’ll be the middle man! From maintenance requests to filling vacancies, we’ll handle everything you need to successfully manage your Denver rental property.
Call us to find out how we can help you avoid bad tenants once and for all.