Identifying red flags can sometimes be difficult, especially if you’re renting for the first time! That’s why we’ve done the hard work and compiled a list of red flags that tenants should look out for in landlords.
We want to ensure that you have done your due diligence and spotted signs of foul play before you have signed anything!
Property is in disrepair or unkempt
Nobody wants to live in a property that’s badly maintained. Tenants sometimes get a bad reputation for not taking care of properties as they don’t own them. However, a landlord not taking care of their own property should most definitely raise suspicion.
A landlord should care enough to regularly maintain their property and keep it in a habitable condition. If not, you can safely assume that they won’t be interested in making your rental experience a good one. Issues such as maintenance requests are likely to be ignored or may take a long time to get seen to.
Bad Testimonials from Previous/Current Tenants
Social media has become a great place to not only find rental properties but to gather the experiences of other renters. Local Facebook groups, for example, are a great way to find out about any real estate scams that people have experienced, bad landlords and more. We utilize reviews and testimonials in our everyday lives from restaurants to hotels, so why not consider them when identifying red flags for renting?
Odd Payment Structures
Another red flag for tenants would include strange payment structures or gateways. For example, if a landlord demands that you pay your rent or rental deposit in cash instead of by bank transfer. Doing this is would be a significant security risk financially and can have serious repercussions in the future.
Hesitance to Provide Contact Details
It’s vital that you can communicate with your landlord easily. If not, you should have the correct and up to date details of the property manager instead. If a landlord is hesitant to provide this information, please treat it suspiciously. There should be no reason as to why they wouldn’t want this information shared with you, so exercise caution.
If anything bad were to occur as a result of the landlord’s neglect, the fact that they are not officially on the record could damage your chances of reaching a satisfactory resolution to your issue.
If you’re looking for more solutions during your rental experience, register here.
You can also read our previous blog post: 4 Questions to Ask When Viewing a Rental