Owning and managing rental properties can give you a stable source of income. But it does come with a number of challenges — one of which is having tenants who aren’t that keen about complying with your rules. From referencing to getting help from letting agents Ashford, here are nine tips to help you avoid and handle nightmare tenants.

Conduct background checks and tenant referencing. To prevent having to deal with bad tenants, you have to avoid accepting one in the first place. This can be done by conducting background checks and referencing. Look into their credits, employment status, and landlord references.

Be aware of early warning signs. Letting and estate agents Ashford advise landlords to be vigilant and wary of tenant no-no’s. Do they haggle rental prices? Do they offer to pay in cash to cover large periods (something that seems to be too good to be true)? If they do any of these, it’s better to not accept them as tenants.

Insist on a guarantor. The inability to make rental payments on time — or even pay at all — is one of the biggest causes of headaches for landlords. This is why it’s important to require your tenant to have a guarantor as a safety net.

Know when to say no. As a landlord, you have every right to say no to a person you don’t want to accept as a tenant. Save yourself from stress and learn when to say no.

Discuss your set of rules. Each rental property owner should have a clear and defined set of rules — rules that will protect the rights of the landlord and his or her tenants as well. Before accepting any tenant, you have to make sure you relay your rules to the other party.

Put everything in black and white. As another safety measure, letting agents Ashford recommend landlords to create a written agreement and have it signed by their prospective tenants. You can use this as a basis should a tenant fail to comply.

Be strict about eviction policies. Your agreement should cover your don’ts, penalties, and eviction rules. And you have to be especially strict when it comes to getting rid of tenants who consistently fail to follow your rules.

Undertake routine inspections. To make sure your tenants are well-behaved and fully compliant, it’s important to conduct periodic inspections. This will help you monitor if they’re taking care of their rooms properly, and they’re not doing anything against the rules they’ve agreed upon.

Enlist professional help. As a landlord, you will be dealing with a lot of things on your plate. This is why getting help from reputable letting agents becomes handy. These professionals are trained to help people like you handle, avoid, or evict bad tenants.

Established in 2012, Evolution Properties is ready to help with all your property needs. Their letting and estate agents Ashford knows the latest on the local property market and are capable of handling tenants of all kinds.

If you wish to enlist their help, call them at 01233 501601 or email them at [email protected]. Learn more about their agents and visit https://www.evolutionproperties.co.uk/letting-agents-ashford.