Are you an awful tenant? Here’s a list of eight things that could make you one if you’re not sure. Being a bad tenant can result in you being evicted, having your security deposit taken away, or even being barred from renting again. So, if you don’t want to deal with any of those repercussions, stay away from these activities!
- Not paying rent on time. This is most likely the first important factor in determining whether or not you will be a good tenant. Your Kendall property manager has the power to start eviction proceedings on you if you’re late to pay rent. Not only that but failing to pay your rent on time can harm your credit score.
- Making too much noise or disturbing other tenants. If you are regularly making loud sounds or causing disruptions to other tenants, your landlord will constantly have complaints against you. Your landlord will not likely renew your lease when the time comes, with all the complaints he gets about you.
- Damaging the property or not taking care of it. There is another typical trait of a bad tenant. Damaging the property or neglecting to fix it, your landlord would need to spend money to repair it. This ends up costing them some money, and they could even choose to keep your security deposit or, in severe situations, evict you.
- Not reporting maintenance and repair issues. It can cost your landlord a lot of money if you don’t report maintenance and repair issues right away. You also face the risk of causing any damage to your personal property as well as the house (think water leaks that turn into a flood!). This is why it’s important to notify your landlord right away if there are any issues.
- Having pets when you’re not supposed to. You may believe that your landlord will remain ignorant of the fact that you have pets when they are forbidden, but they will not. If your lease expressly states that pets are not permitted, you are in violation of your lease terms and may be evicted from the property.
- Bringing in unauthorized guests. The same is true for uninvited visitors or residents. The landlord deserves to be aware of everyone who lives in your rental home, like family members who stay for extended periods of time, for liability reasons. Unauthorized guests could cause legal issues for you and your landlord if something goes wrong.
- Smoking inside or using drugs. This is another frequent sign of an unreliable tenant. Using drugs and smoking inside when your lease forbids it, and doing it anyway, can cause a lot of aggravation for your landlord and can get you arrested (if the drugs are illegal) or evicted – or both.
- Ignore your lease terms. You may believe that ignoring any of your lease terms, including those we’ve already discussed, will not have a significant impact in the short term. Your landlord, on the other hand, will eventually find out – and they will be furious. This could result in you receiving a warning or even being evicted from the property.
Make sure you don’t do these things now that you know how not to be a bad tenant! The last thing you want is to earn a bad reference or become blacklisted, which will make renting your next home more difficult (if not impossible). If you are in the market for a new rental home, browse our listings. We can help you find a quality rental home in Kendall.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
