HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS WHEN A RENTAL CANDIDATE TELLS YOU THIS\u2026<\/span><\/h2>\nFinding the right tenant for your property is the most important step in your effort to create passive income through rental property. There are basic guidelines and rules that you should establish, or make life easier and\u00a0<\/span>hire a professional property manager to do the leasing for you<\/span><\/a>. Ultimately, you\u2019re looking for someone who will reliably pay their rent on time who will also report any maintenance needs\/concerns promptly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIn vetting potential tenants, it is also essential that you do not discriminate against any protected classes as mandated federally under the\u00a0<\/span>Fair Housing Act<\/span><\/a> or any additional state and\/or city laws. There are seven federally protected classes including race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Many states have also added protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. When leasing your property, you need to be cognizant of these protections to avoid acting unlawfully.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>WHO\u2019S THE BEST PERSON TO RENT YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY FOR YOU?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
DIVING IN: FAMILIAL STATUS<\/strong><\/h3>\nSix of those seven groups are pretty straight forward and easy to understand. The one exception is\u00a0<\/span>familial status<\/span><\/a>, so let\u2019s look a little closer. Familial status protections prohibit discrimination against families with children under 18, those who are pregnant, or in the process of adopting or gaining custody of a child. Namely, you can\u2019t decide not to rent to someone because they have children. To protect against this,\u00a0<\/span>Nexus Property Management\u00ae<\/span><\/a> purposefully asks tenant candidates \u201chow many adults 18 or older\u201d are in their party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe reason we\u2019re diving into this one a bit is just to make it crystal clear that in warning you to beware of a type of rental candidate, we\u2019re not brushing up against federal law.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>IS YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY LEAD SAFE?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
THE RENTAL CANDIDATE WHO WILL INEVITABLY WASTE YOUR TIME<\/strong><\/h3>\nAll that to say that in creating an efficient leasing process, you need to ensure you\u2019re still being fair to all candidates. So we\u2019re not saying NOT TO RENT to these people\u2026we\u2019re just letting you know that odds are very strong that they\u2019re going to get your hopes up only to let you down.<\/span><\/p>\nThe group we\u2019re talking about are\u2026people who are separating from their domestic partners.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>SHOULD YOU MEET RENTAL CANDIDATES A LEASING AGENT FINDS FOR YOU PRIOR TO APPROVING THEIR APPLICATION?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
THE ALL TOO CONSISTENT SCRIPT:<\/strong><\/h3>\nTime and time again, we meet men and women who appear to be very strong candidates (plenty of income, solid credit) for vacant properties who then share that they are in the process of separating from their partner. \u201cMy wife and I aren\u2019t together right now so I\u2019m looking for something close enough so I can still see my kids easily\u201d…\u201dWe\u2019re working some things out but it\u2019s not looking good so I\u2019m looking for a 6 month lease and will very likely extend beyond then\u2026just need to see where things settle\u201d…\u201dWe\u2019re going to couples therapy but it\u2019s a waste of time so I\u2019m going to need a place of my own\u201d. \u00a0 Now\u2026none of these stories disqualifies these candidates alone. The lesson is not to run from these people or infringe on their opportunities. The lesson is to avoid wasting your time with next steps, or at least set realistic expectations, because they\u2019re not reliable candidates.\u00a0<\/span>They\u2019re high on emotion and while choosing a place to live is typically a major life decision for people, in these cases your apartment is just the second most important variable<\/strong>, and universally they\u2019re not going to commit\u2026so you shouldn\u2019t waste your time.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>WHAT SHOULD HIRING A PROPERTY MANAGER COST?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
NAVIGATING THE TENANT POOL<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere are plenty of qualified tenants out there and you\u2019ll find them if you\u2019ve got a solid process and your property is priced correctly. Your goal should be to find those qualified tenants as quickly and cost-effectively as possible while focusing on the long-term benefits of ensuring you get the leasing right. The safest route is to hire a professional who commonly works in the rental market (i.e.\u00a0<\/span>a property manager rather than a realtor<\/span><\/a>) or at the very least, call the\u00a0<\/span>nearest Nexus office<\/span><\/a> and have a chat with one of our specialists. And if you do rent yourself and run into someone who is separating or going through a divorce, don’t write them off, but instead engage and have an honest, up front conversation to ensure you’re being efficient with your time…and theirs. Best of luck!<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>THE MOST OVERRATED (AND UNDERRATED) PART OF THE RENTAL APPLICATION: CREDIT SCORES!<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
MOST POPULAR NEXUS CONTENT THIS WEEK:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- \n
GREG TALKS HOMELESSNESS IN RHODE ISLAND<\/span><\/a> (VIDEO)<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n- \n
SHOULD YOU GIVE TENANTS A DISCOUNT FOR HELPING OUT WITH MAINTENANCE?<\/span><\/a> (ARTICLE)<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n- \n
CORPORATE LANDLORDS ARE GIVING SMALL LANDLORDS A TERRIBLE NAME<\/span><\/a> (VIDEO)<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u200b<\/span><\/p>\nMick Lefort is the General Manager of Nexus’ New Haven County Franchise Office and the Vice President of Operations for Nexus Property Management\u00ae, a National Property Management Franchise<\/a>\u00a0that manages all types of rental property from single family homes or condos\u00a0to large apartment buildings and complexes.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Your Property,\u00a0MANAGED<\/strong>\u00ae<\/p>\nThe Real Estate Investing Authority\u00ae<\/p>\n
Connecting You To Better Living\u00ae<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
You Could Own A Nexus Property Management\u00ae Office For Less Than You Think!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Property](\"https:\/\/www.nexuspropertymanagement.com\/sites\/default\/files\/inline-images\/Franchise%20Keys%20Opportunity.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.nexuspropertymanagement.com\/sites\/default\/files\/inline-images\/image_0.gif\")
\u200b<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pawtucket RI\u00a0Property Management\u00a0Office<\/a><\/p>\nWorcester MA Property Management Office<\/a><\/p>\nNatick MA Property Management Office<\/a><\/p>\nNew Haven County CT Property Management Office<\/a><\/p>\n
In vetting potential tenants, it is also essential that you do not discriminate against any protected classes as mandated federally under the\u00a0<\/span>Fair Housing Act<\/span><\/a> or any additional state and\/or city laws. There are seven federally protected classes including race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Many states have also added protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. When leasing your property, you need to be cognizant of these protections to avoid acting unlawfully.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Six of those seven groups are pretty straight forward and easy to understand. The one exception is\u00a0<\/span>familial status<\/span><\/a>, so let\u2019s look a little closer. Familial status protections prohibit discrimination against families with children under 18, those who are pregnant, or in the process of adopting or gaining custody of a child. Namely, you can\u2019t decide not to rent to someone because they have children. To protect against this,\u00a0<\/span>Nexus Property Management\u00ae<\/span><\/a> purposefully asks tenant candidates \u201chow many adults 18 or older\u201d are in their party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The reason we\u2019re diving into this one a bit is just to make it crystal clear that in warning you to beware of a type of rental candidate, we\u2019re not brushing up against federal law.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n All that to say that in creating an efficient leasing process, you need to ensure you\u2019re still being fair to all candidates. So we\u2019re not saying NOT TO RENT to these people\u2026we\u2019re just letting you know that odds are very strong that they\u2019re going to get your hopes up only to let you down.<\/span><\/p>\n The group we\u2019re talking about are\u2026people who are separating from their domestic partners.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Time and time again, we meet men and women who appear to be very strong candidates (plenty of income, solid credit) for vacant properties who then share that they are in the process of separating from their partner. \u201cMy wife and I aren\u2019t together right now so I\u2019m looking for something close enough so I can still see my kids easily\u201d…\u201dWe\u2019re working some things out but it\u2019s not looking good so I\u2019m looking for a 6 month lease and will very likely extend beyond then\u2026just need to see where things settle\u201d…\u201dWe\u2019re going to couples therapy but it\u2019s a waste of time so I\u2019m going to need a place of my own\u201d. \u00a0 Now\u2026none of these stories disqualifies these candidates alone. The lesson is not to run from these people or infringe on their opportunities. The lesson is to avoid wasting your time with next steps, or at least set realistic expectations, because they\u2019re not reliable candidates.\u00a0<\/span>They\u2019re high on emotion and while choosing a place to live is typically a major life decision for people, in these cases your apartment is just the second most important variable<\/strong>, and universally they\u2019re not going to commit\u2026so you shouldn\u2019t waste your time.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There are plenty of qualified tenants out there and you\u2019ll find them if you\u2019ve got a solid process and your property is priced correctly. Your goal should be to find those qualified tenants as quickly and cost-effectively as possible while focusing on the long-term benefits of ensuring you get the leasing right. The safest route is to hire a professional who commonly works in the rental market (i.e.\u00a0<\/span>a property manager rather than a realtor<\/span><\/a>) or at the very least, call the\u00a0<\/span>nearest Nexus office<\/span><\/a> and have a chat with one of our specialists. And if you do rent yourself and run into someone who is separating or going through a divorce, don’t write them off, but instead engage and have an honest, up front conversation to ensure you’re being efficient with your time…and theirs. Best of luck!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u200b<\/span><\/p>\n Mick Lefort is the General Manager of Nexus’ New Haven County Franchise Office and the Vice President of Operations for Nexus Property Management\u00ae, a National Property Management Franchise<\/a>\u00a0that manages all types of rental property from single family homes or condos\u00a0to large apartment buildings and complexes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Your Property,\u00a0MANAGED<\/strong>\u00ae<\/p>\n The Real Estate Investing Authority\u00ae<\/p>\n Connecting You To Better Living\u00ae<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You Could Own A Nexus Property Management\u00ae Office For Less Than You Think!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Pawtucket RI\u00a0Property Management\u00a0Office<\/a><\/p>\n Worcester MA Property Management Office<\/a><\/p>\n Natick MA Property Management Office<\/a><\/p>\n New Haven County CT Property Management Office<\/a><\/p>\nLEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>WHO\u2019S THE BEST PERSON TO RENT YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY FOR YOU?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n
DIVING IN: FAMILIAL STATUS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>IS YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY LEAD SAFE?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n
THE RENTAL CANDIDATE WHO WILL INEVITABLY WASTE YOUR TIME<\/strong><\/h3>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>SHOULD YOU MEET RENTAL CANDIDATES A LEASING AGENT FINDS FOR YOU PRIOR TO APPROVING THEIR APPLICATION?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n
THE ALL TOO CONSISTENT SCRIPT:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>WHAT SHOULD HIRING A PROPERTY MANAGER COST?<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n
NAVIGATING THE TENANT POOL<\/strong><\/h3>\n
LEARN MORE:\u00a0<\/span>THE MOST OVERRATED (AND UNDERRATED) PART OF THE RENTAL APPLICATION: CREDIT SCORES!<\/em><\/a><\/h4>\n
MOST POPULAR NEXUS CONTENT THIS WEEK:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
GREG TALKS HOMELESSNESS IN RHODE ISLAND<\/span><\/a> (VIDEO)<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n
SHOULD YOU GIVE TENANTS A DISCOUNT FOR HELPING OUT WITH MAINTENANCE?<\/span><\/a> (ARTICLE)<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n
CORPORATE LANDLORDS ARE GIVING SMALL LANDLORDS A TERRIBLE NAME<\/span><\/a> (VIDEO)<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\u200b<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n