Top 3 Red Flags to Watch for on Rental Applications
1. No Rental History or Unverifiable History
A tenant applying without any prior rental history—or failing to provide verifiable information—raises immediate concerns. If they don’t own a home, questions arise: Are they hiding something? What does their credit report reveal about previous addresses? A transient lifestyle could suggest potential issues with stability or commitment. While everyone deserves a fresh start, a complete absence of history needs to be handled with caution.
2. Poor Credit History
Credit history is a key indicator of financial reliability. While an isolated issue that has been resolved may warrant discussion, ongoing patterns of poor credit raise red flags. Poor money management is likely to result in missed rent payments, as maintaining a good credit score doesn’t appear to be a priority for these tenants. For property management teams, a tenant’s credit profile can predict whether they will honor their tenancy agreements and meet their financial obligations.
3. Tenancy Tribunal Issues
The saying "history is the best predictor of the future" holds especially true in rental property management. Previous disputes at the Tenancy Tribunal are serious red flags. While everyone can face misunderstandings, Tribunal involvement is often a warning sign of behavior that could impact future tenancies.
Our Commitment to Protecting Your Investment
At Propertyscouts, we know that finding the right tenants is the foundation of a good rental experience. Our job is to mitigate your risk by thoroughly vetting applications, identifying red flags, and ensuring we place responsible tenants in your property.
While other property management companies may prioritise filling vacancies quickly, we prioritise getting it right as quickly as possible. Strong tenant screening is the key to protecting your rental property and maximising returns. When you trust Propertyscouts Dunedin with your rental management, you can rest assured that we’ve seen it all—and we’ll always prioritise quality tenants and creating long term quality investing stories.
Let us help you create better investment outcomes by ensuring you have the right tenants in place.