Finding the right tenant: Tips for secure letting

Finding the right tenant: How to proceed safely

If you are attached to your property, you certainly want to find a tenant who fits in with your home, gets on well with the neighbours and looks after the garden. But sympathy alone is not enough. Without thorough checks on prospective tenants, you could inadvertently fall victim to a rental nomad.

Why careful testing is important

Once a tenant has the keys, it is difficult to remove them from the flat if they do not pay the rent. And if they do succeed, a lot of damage and chaos can be left behind. It is therefore important to Financial reliability and seriousness of the prospective tenants.

Important documents for prospective tenants

Request the following documents from each prospective tenant:

• SCHUFA information or credit report from another credit agency
• The last three salary slips or other proof of income (e.g. for self-employed persons)
• Certificate of freedom from rent arrears of the previous landlord

The tenant self-disclosure

To make sure that a prospective tenant really suits your property, let before the tour fill out a tenant self-disclosure form. Here you can request relevant information such as

• Number of people moving in
• Pets
• Planned rental period

Important: Avoid questions that could be perceived as discriminatory. Criteria such as religion, ethnic origin, age, gender or profession must not play a role in tenant selection.

Carry out inspections correctly

Restrict the Invitations to visit to people who are prepared to provide all the necessary information. This will help you avoid unnecessary visits and save time.

You have two options for the tour itself:

• Carry it out yourself: You can gain a personal impression of the prospective tenants.
• Hire a broker: An estate agent acts neutrally, assesses prospective buyers objectively and is not influenced by personal comments.

Finding the right tenant

A structured process and thorough screening of prospective tenants will help you find the right tenant who is reliable and values your property.

Your contact at FLEXMAKLER
Robert Schüßler
Property valuer (EIA and IHK)