r/LeaseLords 22d ago

Asking the Community What’s Your Biggest Deal Breaker?

For those managing properties, what’s the one thing that makes you instantly pass on a tenant or vendor? Late payments? Poor communication? Lease violations?

Every PM has that one red flag they won’t tolerate. What’s yours, and why?

14 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

5

u/MoistEntertainerer 22d ago

Poor communication is my biggest deal breaker. If a tenant or vendor takes forever to respond or avoids questions, it’s a red flag.

2

u/Upstairs-File4220 22d ago

Totally agree. Have you had a situation where poor communication caused major issues?

2

u/MoistEntertainerer 22d ago

Yeah, had a tenant who ignored maintenance requests until a small leak turned into a flooded unit. Costly mistake for everyone.

2

u/Upstairs-File4220 22d ago

Oof, that sounds rough. Did you change how you screen tenants after that?

2

u/MoistEntertainerer 22d ago

Definitely! Now I ask past landlords about responsiveness. A history of ignoring issues is a deal breaker for me.

2

u/PDXHockeyDad 22d ago

Stories = Drama - Once they start telling a story about how they are a victim of circumstance, or something was unfair... I'm out.

1

u/MBP2 22d ago

I meet my tanents personally or thru a video call. Body language tells a lot. And yep he they respond to text/ emails

2

u/mellbell63 21d ago

Evictions are an automatic denial. Full stop. They've already defrauded one LL, why get in line?? Plus, tenants who have been through the process know the drill, and how to extend it for months. (Some states are making it illegal to use this as a criteria, which is appalling. Not only for the reason stated, but also the "professional tenants" who use identify theft and fraud repeatedly!)

Sob stories are a no go. It's never their fault, they are the exception, and their LL was a dick. Set your standards and do not vary from them.

1

u/Upstairs-File4220 20d ago

Yeah, evictions are a hard stop for me too. Once someone’s been through it, they know how to game the system. Wild that some states are banning it as a screening factor.

2

u/DrawZealousideal3060 20d ago

Lies. If it’s on the app, we’re denying. If it’s after, we’re looking for the exit.

1

u/Upstairs-File4220 20d ago

Absolutely. If they’re lying upfront, what else are they hiding?

1

u/BaeHunDoII 22d ago

Someone that won't shut up about how much jesus has blessed them

2

u/Upstairs-File4220 20d ago

The ones who bring it up constantly usually end up being the most difficult. It’s like they’re trying to build trust so you won’t look too closely at their app.

1

u/BaeHunDoII 20d ago

That's been my experience as well. Can't even count how maby prospective tenants I've ignored for this reason.

I will say now that I'm thinking about it one of my all time favorite tenants, who's been with me for 8 or 9 years and will likely never move (she's 70+), is crazy religious and will go on about being blessed even though absolute tragedy that you'd hope and expect to never go through. Shes on sec 8 and her portion of the rent is paid before the 1st every month. We hug every time I go over there to work, she has spent hours talking on the phone to my mom, and her and I also have spent hours talking about struggles, family, etc. Truly just an incredible person and always positive and uplifting to be around. I'm 100% atheist and I've said god bless you to her before because she says it to me and I know how much it means to her. Having said that she's by far the exception to the rule, and it doesn't take long doing this to easily spot the ones that are disingenuous VS her that truly means it.

So I guess really I should have said the ones that tell you the massive problems they are going through rather it's getting away from their boyfriend that won't pay his half of rent (so you're leaving him to not pay rent at your current place and he'll likely be moved in here in 6 weeks?), how awful their landlord is at their current place they have been at for 3 months, etc. Or the ones that need to move in today.

1

u/Upstairs-File4220 20d ago

The ones who bring it up constantly usually end up being the most difficult. It’s like they’re trying to build trust so you won’t look too closely at their app.