Top Questions You Could Ask Tenants To Accelerate Your Viewing Process


clooper, viewing
Unsplash/R-architecture

Still Searching For The Right Tenant? Or Have A Hopeful That You’re Unsure About? These Are the Top Questions To Ask Tenants During Viewing To Know If They Are A Solid Fit For The Property.

A viewing is like a performance. The property is your stage. The tenants are your audience and you are the performer. But within every show there must be strong dialogue, the same rules apply when meeting tenants at viewings. 

This is a pivotal point. As a Landlord, conducting your own viewing for prospective tenants can be a long process. Finding the right tenant fast is not always easy. To guarantee that you find the right tenant to rent your property it’s compulsory to ask crucial and concise questions. It also benefits you to meet the prospective tenants in person to garner a better understanding of the type of individual they are. Effectively, face-to-face minimizes fraudulence!

The “landlord” at (the property investment project) reinforce this motion. Proposing that being able to study the tenant’s reactions to the questions being asked, optimizes the process! “You’ll be able to get a more accurate impression of them! Landlord guides (blog/life) discusses and gauge a ‘gut feeling’ to their responses”. This increases the probability for you to find the correct tenant. Effectively, eliminating any potential tenants who do not meet the criteria. If you’re on the other end of the spectrum and find yourself a tenant preparing to rent for the first time, check out our handy blog post here.

Property related questions

Each tenancy varies. Therefore, the right questions to ask prospective tenants are determined by the type of property you lease. If you are a landlord leasing rental apartments, here’s a suggestion of questions to ask your prospective tenants… 

  • Do you have pets?
  • Are you familiar with our rental application process?
  • How many people will be living in the unit?
  • How long do you want to rent the property for?
  • What is the most important feature/area to you in a property?

It is critical that you ask tenants questions that always revert back to the apartment. For example, if the property is small, you may ask the tenant how many people will be living in the unit? Or if they have a pet? 

Remember this isn’t a test, more of an evaluation. Consequently, you must have tenants who comply with property settings and rules. Sometimes tenants are willing to adapt to the rules required. However, it can be to your detriment if they don’t live up to their agreement in the future. It is favourable to find a tenant whose current position already aligns with the property requirement during the viewing process. 

clooper, viewing
Unsplash/Maria Ziegler

Background Related Questions

A tenant background check is very crucial. It is important to feel confident in your decision. Kasia Manolas (Avail) discusses why background checks are important, listing safety precautions as one of the main reasons. “It is your responsibility to your community to choose tenants who won’t put anyone at risk”. It also keeps your business safe too! To avoid choosing the wrong tenant, we’ve devised 5 smart and relevant background questions to ask tenants at viewings. 

  • Have you ever been convicted of a relevant crime?
  • Have you ever broken a rental agreement?
  • What kind of neighbor are you? 
  • Why are you looking for a new place to live?
  • What’s your relationship like with your current landlord or letting agent?

It is important to garner information about the tenant’s professional history. 

However, showing a keen interest in who they are as an individual is also important. Face-to-face viewings humanize the tenancy process. There is no form to fill out, or a property management company ordered to direct the viewings. It is just you, the tenant and the property in the flesh.

Ultimately this is still a person trying to find a place to call home. So asking the prospective tenants questions relating to the tenants professional and personal history can benefit the viewing process. This duality can greatly benefit your business, and land you your dream tenant!

This blog post is not intended to constitute legal and or financial advice.