On Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:57:58 -0700 (PDT),
"shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com" <shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>I told her never to agree to having a tenant move in until you do a
>background check.I said just because the former tenant was a good
>tenant, it doesn't mean her friend will be the same.

Background checks and references are nearly useless. Most references
are coached to lie for their friends. Landlords are reluctant to give
bad references because of fear of subsequent retaliation. You can get
a credit history, but most students are not registered with a credit
bureau and have little to report. Parents can co-sign as resposible
party, but might be no better than the student.

One of my rentals became a student crash pad after my long term good
tenants (15 years) left. There were 3 or 4 of them in the house at a
time. There was a constant turn-over as one left and was replaced by
their friends. Anyone staying more than a few days got to fill out a
application, sign a rental agreement (not a lease), and submit a
deposit (so I could pay the former tenant back their deposit). In
other words, it was a formal process. I had problems, but the
turn-over method seemed to work as long as the original tenants were
fairly repsonsible. Good people tend to have similar friends. A good
question to ask is "How long have you known your friend"? If less
than about a year, be suspicious. If more than a few years, they're
probably fairly similar in living habits. Talking to the parents is
often a good idea, as you can get a clue of what might happen if you
have to fall back and ask for their help.

However, that's not what my rant is about. I'm merely suggesting that
you know the applicable laws (for "hiring of property"), that you
cover thy ass with contracts and paper, and that you do a minimum
effort to pre-qualify a prospective tenant. Finding a tenant is MUCH
easier than getting rid of one.

Also, $30 to $175 for a router that supports a "guest" account is a
cheap investment for internal security and peace in the house.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558