Bad renters
 

I bought a 3/2 CYV in Hadley which I’d like to rent Jan-March/April 2020. Any guidelines regarding selecting renters? Is there a list of blacklisted renters anywhere?

Be in the upper half of the average rate for a rental in your area, and require (and check) references. Require a serious deposit.

Thank you, I had not thought of references, so I will do this.

I go to the top 20% of the rental market. So far the worst that I have had were outside smokers. Could not detect smoke in the home. The neighbors were quick to tell me. Renters sneaking in a second couple is pretty common. The unreported broken or missing items have all been quite small in value.

Nowadays, I don't answer rent inquiries if the potential guest is from a few key areas, I just have had enough of the NYC area or Jersey attitude. Also I find the more anyone self promotes how reliable they are the less they are. It is a certain entitled vibe, you will recognize it quickly.

I check them out on Facebook first. I always speak to the renters and feel them out. I just want to make sure we are a good fit as Landlord and Renter. I require a decent deposit. I live six houses from my rental and am available as needed. I have had GREAT renters and many have become friends! Rae

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My neighbor up north rents the house he inherited. He has such great tenants over the years I had to ask him how he does it. He said he charges high rent and checks references. He also watches hydro and water usage. He can immediately tell if there are too many people in the building. One person tried to smoke, he was gone in 24 hours, not sure what my neighbor said but the guy was happy to leave.

HAHA! Your avatar befits you! :1rotfl: Just funnin' ya. Us northerners ATTITUDE ain't all bad. Right Nucky? :D

I am from the north as well, the Jersey attitude is something else. Plenty of great people to have as guests w/o the drama.

Rent high and check references is a stategy proven over many decades.

OP, there are some local firms that will act as your agent, you may want to inquire which of these are reliable and cost effective. This might save you a lot of trouble.

I advise against this, they charge 17-20%, set the rent as they see fit, force you to use their proprietary services such as home watch, and lock you into a contract.

It has bad idea all written over it.

The internet is a wonderful thing.. First off, I would never consider renting to anyone that wouldnt provide me a photocopy of drivers license.
Next, nearly all of my renters had at least one person in the couple on Linkedin.. Of course facebook is next .. If they don;t appear on either, you need to find another way to get to know them. For longer term rentals, I wouldnt do a background and credit check. Next, and somewhat controversial, I'm reluctant to rent to someone outside the US.. Why, because in the event of default / damage, it;s nearly impossible to get and enforce a judgement on them. In my many years of renting in numerous states, the only time I wasnt able to collect a judgement or garnish wages was when a renter returned to Canada. The only time I had a little bit of trouble here in the Villages was renting to a Canadian. As I;ve said to folks over the years .. if you wouldn't give someone the keys to your car, why in the heck would you give them the keys to your house ?? You have to be comfortable.

With a non US renter they should pay the entire amount of their stay before you give them the keys, that system seems to work in Hawaii for many. Including cleaning and damage deposit.

Everyone pays in advance here.. typically a minimum of 75 days prior to occupancy. Even on a 3 or 4 month rental. That doesnt help if there;s damage or theft

The damage deposit can be substantial and it is refunded completely if no damage. You can even offer to pay the renter interest on the damage deposit. It covers theft too, and large theft eg golf cart is covered by insurance. It also makes sense to keep one room locked with your own personal items if you plan to use the property part of the year.

I remember one year the white towels provided in my rental got yellow stains and all the towels cost was deducted from my damage deposit - never used other peoples’ towels again, I buy/bring my own. Like them better anyways.

Be sure you know where they live and have information to track them down if need too.
If they own a home check the property records for the town they live in.
Check employer HR
Be sure to get a check with their name on it for a deposit and identy.
Be sure you know the local (FL) laws on renting and taxes
A problem the renter will have is knowing if you really own the property you are renting. The more they try and check you out I think the better they are likely to be. For example if you use a PO box they know nothing about you. If you use the address of your home they can check the owner on the county records.

You are so right. One year I wanted to rent at Whistler B.C. in Canada. You would not believe the number of people who lived in Africa or Asia who wanted to rent to me!

You can spot it in the water consumption. The same water monitoring devices that tell you of a leak do the same for extra occupancy. People use water at predicable rates. It's not the purpose of the monitors but they detect it as an anomaly of consumption.

I agree with Toymeister on this one. Do your homework with renters and it is usually a pretty good strategy.

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I have to say something. I have 2 rentals and one thing you ALWAYS do. It is 1/2 the rent with the lease and the rest 60 days before move in. Also, charge what everyone else is in high season. Last thing is talk to everyone on the phone before you do a lease. You will learn all you need to know. Don’t use the ripoff rental services anD ALWAYS charge a cleaning fee.

Don’t undercut the going rent. - your place will rent, they always do.

You know Eddie Boy I don't wanna :1rotfl: be a sell-out but when The ToyMeister is Correct he's Correct. I would rather deal with someone from elsewhere also.

I feel like I got outta N.J. in a Nick of Time. I had the Jersey Edge. It has Subsided.

Toymeister just saved me a bundle lately with the Generator.

I was a Great Landlord. There was no misinterpreting :duck: the rules of the Castle. My Collection Department (ME) was :duck: fierce. I got the money :duck: every time. Most of the time just with a look and a little :duck: story. That's the Jersey thing Meister is trying to avoid.

...

Don't forget to collect sales tax

Many thanks to everyone who replied to me, I appreciate your input. Fingers crossed I will get it right. BTW I’m originally from Passaic, New Jersey and have rented in Daytona, Siesta Key, Naples and The Villages quite a few times. Trust me, we aren’t all drama queens/kings! LOL thanks again!

Good advice if you aren’t here
 

Excellent advice if you don’t plan to be here in TV at the same time...:bigbow:

Thank you all so much, some great advice in these replies I must say, and as a newbie things I had not thought of. Much appreciated.

I have two rentals for over 10 years. Now most of my tenants are repeats and I keep them rented 10 months a year. I have only had two bad tenants over that time period and they just left the place dirty. Didn't think about it and probably wouldn't change anything, but one from NY and one from NJ. Interesting.

Anyway I have rented and have repeat renters from Canada, Iceland, Germany, UK and Thailand with zero issues. From all tenants I get a decent deposit, $750 for the first month and $250 for each additional month unless they are a repeat, than only the $750. I get my rent the first day of the previous month. So January rent is due December 1. I have had very few problems with any tenant. A broken dish here and there and they always tell me, a golf cart not filled with gas when they leave, so I charge them for the gas and my time to fill it. And I don't work cheap. But all in all it has been a positive experience with very few problems. And both homes have been paid off with the rental income as I always put 100% of profits back into the homes. I am running out of things to upgrade at this point so probably time to sell them and buy new ones.

Thanks so much for your reply. Very positive.

How about some input from a "renter"? I have no way of knowing how many of us there are, but there is a population of long-term renters here. We choose to rent for various reasons. We pay amenities through our rent. We pay for all utilities and landscaping upkeep, again, through our rent. Same goes for water, trash, etc. We pay everything that the owner pays, plus his/her profit. We treat these homes as our own, and take a lot of pride in our community. It is very likely more expensive to rent long term, than it is to purchase. I hope that we are looked upon as true members of the community, and not just "renters". Given some of the comments here, I really don't know.

As a previous renter myself let me assure you I consider all the fellow renters I’ve had the pleasure to meet in TV are responsible, caring and look after the home they are renting with the same care and pride they would in their own home. My husband and I have been fortunate in becoming friends with the folks we have rented from. I have never invested as much as I have now in purchasing our villa and we only wish we could retire here full time, but we are from the U.K. and private healthcare for the 2 of us would simply be too expensive. Purchasing a villa means we will be able to come enjoy TV for a few months each year, hopefully twice a year, and hopefully rent it out in the peak months and again in between our own visits. For me it’s been kind of scary going for this venture, especially actually living so far away. I’m just trying to get as much info as I can to assist us, I certainly haven’t meant to cause any offence with any of my questions. I appreciate all the advice and information I’ve had here.

I owned short term vacation rentals in Myrtle Beach for 16 years. I always used a property manager who sent a cleaning crew in after each renter. Even with that, my rental units there always had damage and theft which I had to repair or replace annually. As such, the units were very vanilla because if you put something nice in there and it wasn't caught missing by the cleaning crew you were out of luck. Personally, with what I have seen,

Personally, I would never rent out a house short term that I ever intended to live in. We bought here and didn't actually move here for a year after purchase. It sat empty when we weren't here. Just not worth it.

Back to one of our original questions.
I will ask it again and hope for some answers or guideline information.
Are there any rules about age?
Are there any rules about how long an underage 55 can rent a rental?
I noticed a 33yr old arrested stated he moved here so he could drive a golf cart and wouldn't need a driver's license because his has been suspended for a long time.
Now I see how these younger people are living here and get into trouble.
Any answers?

First 2 questions, I would call Village Community standards 352-751-3912, if they cannot answer, they can direct to the correct party. I suspect there are no or few "rules", but there maybe some suggestions. I have never rented out a house, so I cannot give specific advice, just saying what I would do.
#3, the guy was wrong, under FL law, if you HAD a license, and it was revoked, you are not allowed to operate ANY motorized vehicle including a golf cart.
As for #4, we (your neighbors) hope you have a background check done on your renters.
Hope this goes well.

As part of the screening process, I require drivers licenses .. Very simple for you to disregard anyone under 55, or any other age you select. Also well within your rights to require credit and background checks. Again, its your house.

Always ask for a copy of the renter's Drivers License. This verifies the renter's name and their home address. Google their names for additional information... Amazing what comes up with a bit of research.
Also, when a prospective renter is speaking with you, ask lots of questions. Smokers? Pets? People to visit them? (If they plan on having visitors, there should be additional charges for each night a guest is there. Or you can restrict the rental to one couple - the people named on the rental contract). Visiting children or grandchildren? (Is the home that you are going to rent child friendly?) Ask the potential renters where they have previously rented and why they are not renting that home, again. With a lengthy conversation, you can get a good indication if they are the right renters for your home. Be picky! Remember, you are handing over the key to an expensive home.

Judy, have you any experience with rentals in The Villages?

The answer is pretty simple. You can rent to anyone who can own - so they have to be 19 or older. Anyone who rents to anyone that age is nuts.

I have been renting 2 homes for over 5 years. In that time we have had 2 couples under 60, and they were in their early 50s. For the most part, those who can rent a house for a month for the prices we charge are retired or partially retired, so they are all older.

To be honest, you guys need to chill out. Villages Renters are awesome people who leave the houses better than they found them. I have had renters rehang towel bars, rehang a picture that fell, and change the batteries in all the smoke detectors (I was informed of all of these as a courtesy AFTER they were done). We have withheld $50 from 2 renters deposits due to them not following the checkout instructions (and I felt bad, because the house was pretty clean, they just left more than one load of Laundry so I got charged more). These are people who can write checks for $6 or $8000 dollars a year ahead of their rental, they are a class of people who take care of things.

The big thing is to phone interview prospective tennants - you will know 10 minutes into the conversation if you should rent to them.

Mom and Dad rented in TVs for years. They ALWAYS left the property better than when they came. There are good renters.

Yes, Indeed. In fact my case would be that 99.8% are good renters, I have not even met a bad one. Of course I interview first, but have only turned down 2 potential renters in 5 years.

Ed

My wife and I have rented here for 20+years and to my knowledge never had a background check, produced a driving licence or spoken to a landlord prior to signing any agreement.
We have always checked them to make sure they were legit' prior to handing over payment
Apart from one rental never seen or heard from agents representing them or any landlord whilst staying.
The only landlord we met proved to be a pest, who in the guise of doing repairs, kept popping in and checking practicaly every other day. Got fed up with them, (husband & wife team) had a quiete, but firm word, and insisted they notify us in advance of any so called repair work. They left us alone after that. Never went back to that rental.
We have always left a place cleaner and tidier than when we first moved in, and never had a problem in that regard.
Stayed at one place for eight years, and after year three landlord stopped charging us a cleaning fee!
I am sure the majority of longer period renters are similar to us, and the problems wil be with the daily/weekly type rentals.