Do all of the appliances work? Of course they do, you would never consider trying to rent the place with broken appliances, right? But how do you know they work? You basically have two ways to answer this question: “Yes, I know they work because the previous tenant never complained”, or, “Yes, I tested everything when readying the unit for the next tenant.” Which would you rather hear? Now is also a great time to bring up any new appliances or improvements you’ve made. Answering, “Well the stove worked well but was getting old, so I installed a new one”, shows you’re the type of landlord that acts on things before they become a problem. You can also use this as an opportunity to instill a sense of ownership in the appliance by the tenant. Asking them to be mindful of any problems and tell you immediately if they notice anything wrong so you can get it serviced quickly under warranty, will likely having them treating it as their new appliance and helping you head off any problems while it’s still a cheap fix.
Are there any major repairs coming up in the next year? Much like the appliance question, this gives you a great opportunity to show what you’ve done to ready the unit for its new tenant. If you haven’t done anything, thinking about having to answer this question should encourage you to go ahead and make the necessary repairs. There’s a good chance that it’s time to replace the carpet, and at the very least you should have painted or be planning on doing so. In fact, if you haven’t painted, consider telling the applicant that you like to wait until you get a tenant and then allow them to have input on the colors. It’s a great way too; once again, help the tenant feel a pride of ownership and feel at home. Of course, you need to follow through if you promise this, but it takes something you should be doing anyways and presents it as a gift to the new tenant. If you are due for some truly major repairs (such as a roof replacement), being upfront shows respect for the tenant and will better gain their cooperation when it comes time to complete the repair.
What utilities are included? If they don’t ask this question, you should be sure to cover it anyway. Full disclosure and understanding are key to a professional and beneficial relationship between tenant and landlord. You should also think about what this question implies. What are comparable units in the area offering? Perhaps you should consider providing a utility such as Internet access included in the price. If you have affordable high-speed Internet access offered in your area and multiple units on the same property, offering shared Internet access could be a very inexpensive perk to offer. However, be sure to be upfront with the level of access you’re providing and its allowable use. Multiple units will not be able to stream high-definition movies at the same time over wireless (or at all, depending on the service you subscribe to). Likewise, illegal use by your tenants (such as illegally downloading movies or music) may cause your service to be shut off. So beware of the risks and have a clear terms of use included it in the lease. Other types of utilities you might choose to include should also be clearly detailed in the lease to avoid any confusion.
Who will be responsible for maintenance and repairs? Unless you’re a landlord for the first time, you should already have a procedure in place for repairs, emergency and otherwise. Be prepared to answer this question clearly and refer them to the section in the lease that governs it. You don’t want to be having an argument over the phone at 3AM because of a misunderstanding about “what you said” months earlier during the application process. If for some reason you couldn’t answer this question right now, you need to figure it out fast. Something will eventually happen, and if you’re not prepared then everyone will be very unhappy.
Who’s responsible for pest control? This was a pretty good question and one you might not expect. The answer may depend on the pest in your situation. For instance, you obviously want to know about termites, but the tenant should deal with ants. Or perhaps you’ll deal with everything, but they eat the cost if they attracted the pest (getting ants because of a dirty kitchen, or a mouse infestation because they were breeding mice which escaped). Whatever your choice, think about it and be prepared with an answer and insert it into your lease. If you do regularly spray for pests (or hire a company to do so), know what chemicals are used and any potential safety concerns for pets or children. If they ask the first question, you’ll probably get that one too.
These were the questions covered in the article, but be prepared for anything. If you get a unique question from one of your applicants, I’d recommend for you to write it down and think about the ways you can improve your answer in the future. You can do other landlords a service by sharing them as well.
Article written by Fredrk Michaels
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