Property Managers and Landlords:

Do you ever get those phone calls from tenant prospects that just seem to go on and on and on...?  Usually, it starts out OK.  They ask a few questions, the normal ones.  How many beds, baths, pets OK, and the rent price?  And, you provide quick, concise answers.  Then, they start talking about their "situation".  This is when they get going, "OK, my credit might have a few issues because of a bankruptcy 2 years ago because of a marriage gone bad and he cheated on me with my best friend so I had to go into a bunch of debt because he started charging all sorts of crazy stuff on the joint credit cards we had oh and I have some student loans which might be overdue a few months and probably some medical debt, too.  Is that gonna be a problem?"

OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I think y'all know what I'm talking about.  While I do appreciate the openness and honesty from a prospect, when the sentences become more than a few, my first thought is, "OK, I think I'll just go ahead and Deny your application, before you've even submitted it."  I really don't like to judge folks, as I'm generally a trusting person.  But, one thing I've learned in my few short years of this is that I can NOT be too trusting.  Career Tenants will pick up on that in a heartbeat, and will work it as long as you allow it to happen.  If you accept their "excuses" now, you're stepping into a pattern of behavior and acceptance that can be difficult to escape.  Do NOT let yourself go there!

When you're faced with this type of situation, do your best to avoid going any further with it.  Refer the tenant prospect to your established rental applicant guidelines.  I have our application posted on our brokerage website.  If they ask me what my guidelines are, instead of telling them what they are, I still send them to the website, or offer to fax or email it to them.  I know the guidelines, but I would rather the prospect read it for themselves, and have it laid before them, in writing.  After reading the guidelines, if they decide to submit an application, then you'll get to see with your own eyes what all their words were about.  If they meet your guidelines, and you can approve their application for rental, you've at least been given some foresight into the possible character of the tenant. 

As to the title of this blog, I credit Proverbs 10:19, which says, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."  As Property Managers and Landlords, whether you like it or not, we ARE in the people business.  To be successful, we need to be able to see a good deal into the way people communicate and the reason they do it the way they do.  This is certainly not to suggest that just because a prospect is "plentiful with words" that they will be bad tenants, because that's just not the case.  But, my point is that if they are making excuses now, then you're likely to hear excuses during their tenancy.  Listen to what they are saying, and take note so that you're better equipped to deal with them, if you choose to rent your property to them.  In a lot of ways, it's easier to deal with the person who "holds his tongue", because you're nearly guaranteed to only have to work with the facts.  No excuses, no drama, no emotion.  Landlord: "Hey, you're rent is late."  Tenant: "Sorry, I'll have it on Monday, with the late charge included."  Ha!  If only it were that simple, but I hope you understand my point.  Know who you're dealing with, and handle them properly.

Thanks for reading…

Eric M. Boyd, Property Manager
Realtor, e-PRO
Step One Realty, LLC
Jacksonville, FL
www.StepOneRealty.com