- Not paying rent on time. This is most likely the first important factor in determining whether or not you will be a good tenant. If you fall behind on your rent, your Bedford County property manager is perfectly within his or her rights to initiate eviction proceedings against you. Not only that, but not paying your rent on time can hurt your credit score.
- Making too much noise or disturbing other tenants. Your landlord will have a lot of complaints against you if you’re always making noise or disturbing other tenants. The more problems your landlord hears, the less likely they will renew your lease when the time comes.
- Damaging the property or not taking care of it. This is another frequent characteristic of a bad tenant. If you cause damage to the property or fail to maintain it, your landlord will be forced to spend cash fixing it. This can be quite costly for them, and they may choose to hold back your security deposit or, in serious situations, evict you.
- Not reporting maintenance and repair issues. It can cost your landlord a lot of money if you don’t report maintenance and repair issues right away. You also face the risk of causing any damage to your personal property as well as the house (think water leaks that turn into a flood!). This is why it’s important to notify your landlord right away if there are any issues.
- Having pets when you’re not supposed to. You may believe that your landlord will remain ignorant of the fact that you have pets when they are forbidden, but they will not. If your lease specifically forbids pets, this is a clear violation of the terms of your lease and it may get you evicted.
- Bringing in unauthorized guests. The same is true for uninvited visitors or residents. Your landlord should be aware of those living in your rental home for liability reasons, including extended family members who stay for extended periods of time. Unapproved visitors could cause you and your landlord legal problems if something turns out badly.
- Smoking inside or using drugs. Here’s another typical trait of a bad tenant. If your lease explains that you cannot use drugs or smoke inside and you do it anyway, your landlord will be furious and may have you arrested (if the drugs are illegal) or evicted – or both.
- Ignore your lease terms. If you disregard any of your lease terms, including those discussed previously, you may believe it will make little difference in the short term. However, your landlord will eventually discover this – and they will not be agreeable with it. This may result in a warning or even eviction from the property.
Since you know how not to be a bad tenant, be sure you stay clear of these activities! Receiving lousy recommendations or being blacklisted, which makes renting another home quite complicated (if not impossible), is the last thing you need. If you are in the market for a new rental home, browse our listings. We can help you find a quality rental home in Bedford County.