How a Landlord-Tenant Attorney Can Help You When It Comes To Good Tenants with Bad Credit
How a Landlord-Tenant Attorney Can Help You When It Comes To Good Tenants with Bad Credit Mar 4, 2019 When it comes to being a landlord preparing your property to be rented by tenants, there are a number of helpful tasks that a landlord-tenant attorney can help you with. This includes precautions that will likely provide you with more protection than simply working with a property management company that does not have any experienced attorneys on staff. Let’s take, for example, the task of finding your tenants: Let’s say you and/or the property management company having potential tenants that appear to be good on paper, but also appear to have bad credit. An attorney can help you build in some protection for yourself in case these tenants do not work out. Start by running through their references, and remember that a credit score does not tell the whole story, especially if someone experienced a couple of difficult years. You can ask their references about what is important as a landlord—did they pay rent on time, respect the premises, etc. —and then ask the tenant for additional specifics as to why their credit score might be low. Asking About References Here are some overall questions you may want to ask references about your prospective tenants: How frequently was the tenant late with rent, if at all? Did they take good care of the property? What about basic maintenance? How frequently did they get in touch, and over what issue(s)? Were there any complaints about the tenant from neighbors? Under what conditions did the tenant leave? Did they provide enough notice? Speaking With the Prospective Tenant You should also speak with the tenant about their poor financial score and what might have caused it. For example, if they, at one point had to declare bankruptcy, that could be an indication of where they were at financially at that point in their lives, but doesn’t necessarily indicate that collecting rent on time is going to be a problem now. Additional Contractual Precautions Also keep in mind that there are additional precautions you can take if you are concerned about your new tenant having a bad credit score; for example: Collecting a larger deposit from them, and including, in their contract, that the deposit can be used at your discretion to address any unpaid rent and damage; Opting for a month-to-month versus annual lease; Considering having the tenant take over on accounts that you might have otherwise kept in your name, such as the water, garbage, etc.; and/or Charging more in rent each month. Contact Our Florida Landlord-Tenant Attorneys to Find Out More As Florida landlord-tenant attorneys who have worked with a number of landlord clients over the years, we are here to help when it comes to any contract, legal, and other questions you might have about the process. Contact us today at HD Law Partners to find out more about our services. Resource: forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2019/02/19/great-tenant-bad-credit-what-are-a-landlords-options/#3758129e3fee Posted in Homeowners Association, Landlord Tenant | No Comments » Connect with us Archives May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 January 2025 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 November 13 Categories Alimony Appellate Arbitration Auto Accidents Auto Insurance Business Corporate Business Insurance Law Child Custody Child Support Criminal Law Divorce Family Law FEMA Insurance Payments Florida’s Mandatory 2‑Hour Legal Professionalism CLE: Foreclosure Defense Fort Myers Hurricane Insurance Attorney General Guardianship HD Law Partners Service HOA/Property Management Homeowners Association Homeowners Insurance Hurricane Claims Hurricane Insurance Insurance Bad Faith Insurance Claims Insurance Defense Insurance Litigation Landlord Tenant Law Enforcement Liability Loan Modifications Mold Water Damage Parental Rights Paternity Personal Injury Premises Liability Law Prenuptial Agreements Private Security Property Distribution Property Owner Law Sarasota Insurance Litigation Attorney Slip Fall Tampa Business and Corporate Attorneys tampa family attorney Tampa Insurance Attorneys Timeshare Timesharing Uncategorized HD Law Partners is proud to be your trusted full-service law firm Quick Links Property & Casualty Business & Corporate Litigation Family Law Contact Us Careers Get In Touch 2002 North Lois Avenue Suite 510 Tampa, FL 33607 813-253-5333 Contact Us