Skip to Content

8 Things That Make You a Bad Tenant

Redbank Tenant Smoking a Cigarette in Her Rental HomeAre you an awful tenant? Here’s a list of eight things that could make you one if you’re not sure. Problems like getting evicted, having a withdrawn security deposit, or even being banned from ever renting again, are the effects of being a bad tenant. So, if you don’t want to deal with any of those repercussions, stay away from these activities!

  1. Not paying rent on time. This is probably the biggest issue in assessing whether or not you will be a reliable tenant. If you don’t pay your rent on time, your Redbank property manager has the legal right to evict you. You can also harm your credit score if you are unable to pay on time.
  2. Making too much noise or disturbing other tenants. Repeatedly causing noise or upsetting the rest of the tenants will give your landlord many complaints about you. Your landlord will not likely renew your lease when the time comes, with all the complaints he gets about you.
  3. Damaging the property or not taking care of it. There is another typical trait of a bad tenant. Damaging the property or neglecting to fix it, your landlord would need to spend money to repair it. This costs them a lot of cash, and they may decide to keep your security deposit or evict you in extreme cases.
  4. 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. Moreover, you may cause damage not only to the house but to your personal property (imagine a water leak that will become a flood!). This is why it is vital to alert your landlord of any matters as early as possible.
  5. Having pets when you’re not supposed to. You could presume that your landlord will not notice if you have pets when you are not allowed to, but they will. If your lease expressly prohibits pets, this is a violation of the lease terms and may result in your eviction from the property.
  6. Bringing in unauthorized guests. Unauthorized visitors or residents are treated the same way. Your landlord should know who lives in your rental home for liability reasons, including family members who stay for days on end. Illegitimate guests might create legal headaches for you and your landlord if something gets out of control.
  7. Smoking inside or using drugs. Here’s another typical trait of a bad tenant. If your lease states that you are not permitted to smoke or use drugs inside, and you do so anyway, your landlord will be irritated, and you may be arrested (if the drugs are illegal) or evicted – or both.
  8. Ignore your lease terms. You may believe that ignoring any of your lease terms, including those we’ve already discussed, will not have a significant impact in the short term. Your landlord, on the other hand, will eventually find out – and they will be furious. Receiving a warning or even being evicted from the property may be the conclusion.

Make sure you don’t do these things now that you know how not to be a bad tenant! 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 Redbank.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.

The Neighborly Done Right Promise

The Neighborly Done Right Promise ® delivered by Real Property Management, a proud Neighborly company

When it comes to finding the right property manager for your investment property, you want to know that they stand behind their work and get the job done right – the first time. At Real Property Management we have the expertise, technology, and systems to manage your property the right way. We work hard to optimize your return on investment while preserving your asset and giving you peace of mind. Our highly trained and skilled team works hard so you can be sure your property's management will be Done Right.

Canada excluded. Services performed by independently owned and operated franchises.

See Full Details