New Tenant...Techniques...For Finding & Approving...'Right' Tenant

QUESTION:

  • “What techniques do you use to find and approve the right Tenant for your MHP?”

For our Turn-Around MHP we have lots of Prospective Tenants.

Thus, it is very important for us to determine the right Tenant for our MHP.

We have tried various techniques.

We have a very specific procedure for Prospective Tenants including an Application Process for everyone 18 years old and older.

I was talking to my Husband and remembered a book that Dave Ramsey had written concerning ‘hiring’ the correct person for a Company.

I understand that we are not ‘hiring’ employees. However, some of the techniques for ‘hiring’ can also be used for ‘approving’ the correct Tenants.

Below are a couple of Dave Ramsey’s tips for ‘hiring’ the correct person that can also be applied to ‘approving’ the correct Tenants.

The following is from Dave Ramsey’s website
( 3 Hiring Mistakes to Avoid - Ramsey ):
“1.) Hiring Too Quickly - ( For MHPs - Approving Too Quickly )
2.) Letting Crazy In - ( For MHPs - Letting Crazy In )
When hiring (approving) someone, you are employing more than just the person. You’re taking on the whole family. And when they are married to someone who is domineering, unstable or simply full of drama, you’ll end up with a team member (Tenant) who can’t be creative, productive or excellent (stable).”

One of the biggest issue I have run into is screening for neighbour compatibility. Neighbours not getting along can be a big issue in higher quality communities. In a trailer park owners could care less if tenants get along as it is not the owners responsibility but I do get plenty of complaints and do have good tenants moving out for that reason.
Not sure how to screen for this problem.
Also have problems screening for hidden “crazy”. I have had a few of those that I could not discover during screening. One presently that I would love to get rid of but our regulations do not allow us to evict.

Finding the right tenant is some times as difficult as picking the right puppy. Do your best to screen then fall back on training and if all else fails, euthanasia.

1 Like

@Greg , thank you for your comments!

Greg, you make a great point:

  • “One of the biggest issue I have run into is screening for neighbor compatibility.”

As a MHP Owner it is very important that neighbors get along. Neighbors that get along will be happier and will stay longer in your MHP.

As Greg indicated sometimes neighbors that do not get along will cause good Tenants to leave:

  • “…do have good tenants moving out for that reason (not getting along with neighbors)”

As a MHP Owner you not only have to have Business Sense, but you also have to have People Sense :slight_smile: .

We are a husband and wife team and we have found 95% of the time our separate opinions of possible new tenants being great for our is correct. When one of us has a doubt we pass to the next party wanting tenancy and start the process over. Finding out their last tenancy and looking at the neatness of their car for example says a lot. NEVER be bashful saying NO. It is YOUR responsible to have a civil safe community. We indicate with 100% certainty drugs and drunks will not be tolerated.