If you're attached to your property, you'll certainly want to find a tenant who's a good fit, gets along with your neighbors, and takes good care of the beautifully landscaped garden. But that's not all that matters. While compatibility is important, you should absolutely check all the relevant documents before deciding on a tenant. Otherwise, you might end up with a tenant who doesn't pay rent.
Once a tenant has the keys and is in the apartment, it's difficult to get them out again if they don't pay the rent on time. And even if you do manage to get rid of the unwanted tenant after a while, they may leave behind a huge mess. Requesting the following documents will help you gain insight into the finances and reliability of your prospective tenants:
- SCHUFA credit report or credit report from another credit agency
- Last 3 payslips or other proof of income (e.g. for self-employed persons)
- Confirmation of no rent arrears from the last landlord
To find someone who is truly a good fit for your property, you should have all prospective tenants fill out a tenant self-disclosure form before the viewing. This form allows you to ask questions about pets, the number of people moving in, and other criteria. However, be careful: it must not appear that you are discriminating against any particular group. Religion, ethnic origin, gender, age, or profession must not play a role in selecting the right tenant.
You should only invite people to the viewing who are willing to fill out all this information completely. This will prevent sightseeing tourism by people who have no real interest.
You can either attend the viewings yourself or leave them to your real estate agent. The latter can assess prospective tenants more objectively and won't be swayed by comments about the furnishings or the garden.
Do you need help finding the right tenant? We'd be happy to assist you.