tenant: Don’t Miss an Important Component to Screening New Tenants! - 10/07/09 07:25 PM
A vital part of tenant screening requires more than learning about applicants, their employment and credit history-it's learning everything you can about their previous rental history. Yes, former landlords who have rented to this tenant before have a wealth of information which should be weighed carefully before you approve an application.
Think about it. For six months or six years, former landlords have received or not received payments from your applicant. They know how the tenant left the property and about any complaints made when they leased it. Their file and recollection can provide you with more insight than you'll find … (0 comments)

tenant: Landlord Tenant Lease – Is Yours Legal? - 09/10/09 03:09 AM
Whether your lease is actually legal is a loaded question.  What is legal?  Legal is whatever will hold up in a court of law on any given day, in front of any given judge.  Is there such a thing as an iron-clad lease?  I don't think so.  Widely-used lease texts and formats may be utilized by many landlords and property managers for years, only to be determined by a judge down the road that these have been used in error.I sometimes hear from landlords, "If it is in my lease and my tenant signed it, then it must be legal."  Sadly, … (3 comments)

tenant: Should You Hand Over the Keys Immediately After Your New Tenants Sign Their Lease? - 09/02/09 01:37 PM
Often after a tenant signs the lease, the landlord immediately hands over the keys.  At this point, many landlords miss a critical opportunity to gain profit and minimize the risk that the tenant will eventually leave owing money.
In 30-40% of the tenant debt files I review, either the move-in inspection was done poorly, or not done at all.  This makes it difficult to accurately document any damages the tenant may cause while he or she lives in your rental.  In turn, this makes recovering the repair costs all the more difficult.
Often a landlord will simply hand the tenant a move-in … (1 comments)

tenant: My Tenant Moved Out Three Years Ago, May I Still Report Him to the Credit Bureaus? - 08/31/09 06:16 PM
Yes you may report this previous tenant, if you have a signed lease and can document what you are owed.  Collection accounts may stay reported to the credit bureaus for up to seven years.  So any debt less than seven years old may be reported.  However, I do not recommend reporting debt that is over six years old, because there just is not enough time left for the ding on the debtors credit report to motivate him or her to pay you.
Although the tenant may owe you rent from months before he moved out, I advise landlords to use the move … (1 comments)

tenant: Your Los Angeles Tenant Moved Out and Owes You Money? - 08/25/09 09:36 PM
If your tenant moved out of your rental unit and owes you money, use the hammer the best collection agencies use.  Report the debt your tenant owes to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  Collection agencies report debt to the credit bureaus to motivate the previous tenant to pay the money they owe.  Reporting debt to the credit bureaus help collection agencies collect debt.
Your tenant may owe you money for past rent, damages, legal fees, etc.  High unemployment in Los Angeles is causing more tenants to leave their rental unit owing the landlord high sums of money.  Once your previous tenant gets … (2 comments)

tenant: Your Newark Tenant Moved Out and Owes You Money? - 08/25/09 09:28 PM
If your tenant moved out of your rental unit and owes you money, use the hammer the best collection agencies use.  Report the debt your tenant owes to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  Collection agencies report debt to the credit bureaus to motivate the previous tenant to pay the money they owe.  Reporting debt to the credit bureaus help collection agencies collect debt.
Your tenant may owe you money for past rent, damages, legal fees, etc.  High unemployment in Newark is causing more tenants to leave their rental unit owing the landlord high sums of money.  Once your previous tenant gets back on … (2 comments)

tenant: Your Pensacola Tenant Moved Out and Owes You Money? - 08/25/09 09:20 PM
If your tenant moved out of your rental unit and owes you money, use the hammer the best collection agencies use.  Report the debt your tenant owes to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  Collection agencies report debt to the credit bureaus to motivate the previous tenant to pay the money they owe.  Reporting debt to the credit bureaus help collection agencies collect debt.
Your tenant may owe you money for past rent, damages, legal fees, etc.  High unemployment in Pensacola is causing more tenants to leave their rental unit owing the landlord high sums of money.  Once your previous tenant gets back … (2 comments)

tenant: Your Orlando Tenant Moved Out and Owes You Money? - 08/25/09 09:16 PM
If your tenant moved out of your rental unit and owes you money, use the hammer the best collection agencies use.  Report the debt your tenant owes to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  Collection agencies report debt to the credit bureaus to motivate the previous tenant to pay the money they owe.  Reporting debt to the credit bureaus help collection agencies collect debt.
Your tenant may owe you money for past rent, damages, legal fees, etc.  High unemployment in Orlando is causing more tenants to leave their rental unit owing the landlord high sums of money.  Once your previous tenant gets back … (2 comments)

tenant: Your Tampa Tenant Moved Out and Owes You Money? - 08/25/09 09:02 PM
If your tenant moved out of your rental unit and owes you money, use the hammer the best collection agencies use.  Report the debt your tenant owes to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  Collection agencies report debt to the credit bureaus to motivate the previous tenant to pay the money they owe.  Reporting debt to the credit bureaus help collection agencies collect debt.
Your tenant may owe you money for past rent, damages, legal fees, etc.  High unemployment in Tampa is causing more tenants to leave their rental unit owing the landlord high sums of money.  Once your previous tenant gets back … (1 comments)

tenant: Denver Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:56 PM
What happens in Denver if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing the … (0 comments)

tenant: Detroit Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:51 PM
What happens in Detroit if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing the … (1 comments)

tenant: Dallas Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:47 PM
What happens in Dallas if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing the … (1 comments)

tenant: Boston Landlords - Report Tenants Who You Owe Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:44 PM
What happens in Boston if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing the … (0 comments)

tenant: Tampa Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:38 PM
What happens in Tampa if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing the … (0 comments)

tenant: Los Angeles Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:34 PM
What happens in Los Angeles if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing … (0 comments)

tenant: Chicago Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:20 PM
What happens in Chicago if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, thus increasing … (1 comments)

tenant: New York Landlords - Report Tenants Who Owe You Money to the Credit Bureaus - 08/24/09 05:03 PM
What happens in New York if you do not pay your doctor, cell phone, or utility bill?  You will not only receive some less than friendly phone calls, but your debt will also be reported to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  These major credit bureaus will then ding your credit report to show that you owe money, and most debts will remain as a collection account for up to seven years!
Why do companies go to the trouble of reporting these debts?  They do it because reporting the debt to the credit bureaus makes it difficult for the debtor to obtain credit, … (0 comments)

tenant: An Organized Miami Landlord has Less Tenant Debt and More Profit - 08/22/09 06:33 AM
An organized Miami landlord is a more profitable landlord.  I have reviewed many thousands of tenant debtor files, and one thing is certain; by looking at a tenant file after the tenant moves out, I can usually tell you fairly accurately how the property is being managed.  A well-organized landlord who documents everything has less tenant debt, and, as result enjoys more profit.Organize your files logically and consistently.  At least half of the Miami files I review are little more than a pile of unorganized papers thrown into a file folder; and often very important documents are missing altogether.  What does … (0 comments)

tenant: The Top 6 Objections Previous Tenants Give for Not Paying Their Previous Landlord - 08/20/09 06:34 PM
 
In the debtors mind they have a valid objection, and simply will not pay the debt.  Here are the top 6 objections collection agencies hear from debtors as reasons they will not pay.  Many objections can be prevented by simply being a better landlord.  Recovered debt means more profit!
1. The charges are inflated.  There is no way I owe that much!  The landlord is just trying to gouge me.
As I have said in other articles, landlords who exaggerate or pile on charges when a tenant moves out or is evicted, among other things, is almost insuring that the … (2 comments)

tenant: Proper Tenant Screening in a Tough Economy Minimizes Tenant Debt - 08/20/09 05:23 AM
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Screening a prospective tenant is more important now than ever.  With the current economic climate, more people have credit ratings that fall into a gray area compared to just a few years ago.  Job losses and foreclosure rates are painfully high.  FICO scores are dropping for many Americans, making finding a tenant with squeaky clean credit much more difficult.
I always look at this issue from the angle of collecting or preventing tenant debt.  By properly screening a tenant, you can greatly reduce the risk that the tenant will move out owing you money.  Tenant debt will always be a … (2 comments)

 

Bill Gray

Tampa, FL

More about me…

The Collector

Office Phone: (212) 561-5492

Email Me



Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog

Find FL real estate agents and Tampa real estate on ActiveRain.