• Will you accept people with a criminal background? It’s perfectly acceptable and common for landlords to deny tenancy requests for individuals with criminal backgrounds. It’s a potentially messy situation they’d prefer to avoid. However, it’s still something you need to think about it. If you’re open to accepting those with a criminal record, whom would you accept, and whom would you deny? Will you rent your house to people who’ve had a misdemeanor? What about a felony—what about sex offenders, or those who have been convicted of other violent crimes, such as domestic violence, assault, and murder? Where will you draw the line? You need to figure out what’s acceptable and comfortable to you. • How will you handle references? It’s pretty standard for owners renting out their property to ask for and check on references for potential candidates. Still, it’s a decision you need to make, and there are still considerations. You never know exactly who might be interested in renting out your house. References are necessary for this reason. But what are your standards for references? Probably the best reference—and the most telling—will be the candidate’s former landlord(s). For example, let’s say you’re looking into a prospective tenant, and you ask a former landlord about their history of rent payments. The landlord says they rarely paid on time. Will you accept or deny that candidate? What if the landlord, when asked, tells you their former tenant never took care of the property and even trashed the place? Or brought pets in, under a no-pet policy? Will you rent to that person?
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