When you have apartment vacancies, it is very common to hope that the perfect tenant will walk through your door. Often, in times of need, however, you will find that exactly the opposite person finds your listing and applies. In these tough economic times, you may be tempted to rent to the first person who applies, too, since he may turn out to be the only one.
That is a strategy for frustration. Let’s turn that situation upside-down. It would be preferable to do the following exercise before you need a new tenant.
Positive Thinking
You need to envision your ideal tenant. Think of everything you want in a tenant and then take it another level. Of course, your ideal tenant will pay on time (preferably early), will not be noisy or abusive, will keep a clean apartment, park in his spot, have nice guests over on occasion who are just as nice or nicer than he is, and many other things.
When you are creating this “customer (or tenant) avatar,” you need to dig deeper. Not only should you imagine your ideal tenant’s behavior as a tenant but also her behavior as a person. After all, you rent to real human beings, not avatars! So imagine what this person does for a living. What makes him successful at his job? How does he dress? What time does she wake up in the morning and what does her morning ritual look like.
In short, imagine every single aspect about your perfect tenant. Clothes, hobbies, skills, likes and dislikes, the car he drives, the people he associates with—everything!
You will find that you can make a perfect visual image of this person, as well. Is it a man or a woman? Long hair or short hair? What color hair, eyes? Slight of build, muscular, or heavy? You decide—it’s your perfect tenant!
Potential for Results
What is the purpose of this exercise? There is growing evidence that what you seek can be manifested through your thoughts. Now, nobody knows why things come to be…they just do. The idea, then, is to imagine that perfect tenant, down to every last detail.
You may find that he (or she) just walks through your door. Actually, you may start attracting many “ideal tenants” and have the “problem” of turning away really good candidates for rental units you may have open.
It’s best to do this exercise before you actually need it. Do not try to do it if you are desperate to fill a unit. You know what you get then? That tenant that fits what you need at that very moment: A passable background check with available funds right now. But you may have opened your door to a problem down the line.
If you can create your own destiny—or if there is even a chance—why not take it?
For all of your tenant screening, background check, and credit check needs, turn to rent-prep.