Joe and his family seemed like "nice enough" people when they looked at the property and expressed an interest to rent.  He said all the the right things and was, at least, intelligent.  Eager to move because of a family emergency or maintenance problems at their previous apartment, Joe provided the security deposit and rent that day.  Perfect tenant, right?  Well... 3 months later, Joe's a month behind on rent, but promises he'll catch up; some mistake at work with his payroll, he claims.  He's not maintaining the yard and has moved a family member or two in without permission.

Chances are you've probably rented to a Joe or two, and he's turned your investment into both a babysitting nightmare and financial loss.  Geico knows the value of time: "15 minutes could save you..."  How right they are.  Fifteen minutes and $30 could have saved you from Joe if only you'd done a background check.  That's all it takes, and there's numerous companies that will do it for you.  For example, the Utah Apartment Association provides credit and criminal background checks for around $25-$30.  That small fee (which can be recouped as an application fee from the tenant) and phone calls to an employer and landlord probably would have saved you the hundreds or thousands of dollars lost to "nice enough" Joe.  As the saying goes, "the best way to avoid evicting a bad tenant, is to not rent to one in the first place."  Oh, and for all you Joes, there's no need to worry.  You'll find plenty of property owners that will think you're "nice enough."

Joe and his family seemed like "nice enough" people when they looked at the property and expressed an interest to rent.  He said all the the right things and was, at least, intelligent.  Eager to move because of a family emergency or maintenance problems at their previous apartment, Joe provided the security deposit and rent that day.  Perfect tenant, right?  Well... 3 months later, Joe's a month behind on rent, but promises he'll catch up; some mistake at work with his payroll, he claims.  He's not maintaining the yard and has moved a family member or two in without permission.

Chances are you've probably rented to a Joe or two, and he's turned your investment into both a babysitting nightmare and financial loss.  Geico knows the value of time: "15 minutes could save you..."  How right they are.  Fifteen minutes and $30 could have saved you from Joe if only you'd done a background check.  That's all it takes, and there's numerous companies that will do it for you.  For example, the Utah Apartment Association provides credit and criminal background checks for around $25-$30.  That small fee (which can be recouped as an application fee from the tenant) and phone calls to an employer and landlord probably would have saved you the hundreds or thousands of dollars lost to "nice enough" Joe.  As the saying goes, "the best way to avoid evicting a bad tenant, is to not rent to one in the first place."  Oh, and for all you Joes, there's no need to worry.  You'll find plenty of property owners that will think you're "nice enough."