- Not paying rent on time. This may be the essential concern that makes you an awful tenant. Your Greensboro property manager has every right to start eviction proceedings against you if you’re late on your rent. Not only that but failing to pay your rent on time can harm your credit score.
- Making too much noise or disturbing other tenants. If you are constantly making noise or causing disturbances to other tenants, your landlord will have numerous complaints against you. When it comes time to renew your lease, the more complaints your landlord receives, the less likely they may want to renew it.
- Damaging the property or not taking care of it. This is another frequent characteristic of a bad tenant. If you cause damage to the property or fail to maintain it, your landlord will be forced to spend cash fixing it. This can cost them a lot of money, and they may decide to keep your security deposit or, worst-case scenario, evict you.
- Not reporting maintenance and repair issues. Maintenance and repair issues can cost your landlord a lot of money if you don’t report them right away. You also risk causing damage to your own property in addition to the house (like water leaks that turn into a flood!). This is why it’s critical to inform your landlord of any problems as soon as possible.
- Having pets when you’re not supposed to. You may believe that your landlord will remain ignorant of the fact that you have pets when they are forbidden, but they will not. If your lease clearly states that pets are not allowed, this is a breach of your lease terms, and you may get evicted.
- Bringing in unauthorized guests. The same holds true for uninvited guests or residents. The landlord deserves to be aware of everyone who lives in your rental home, like family members who stay for extended periods of time, for liability reasons. Unapproved visitors could cause you and your landlord legal problems if something turns out badly.
- Smoking inside or using drugs. Another common trait of a bad tenant is this. The use of drugs and smoking inside when your lease expressly prohibits it and continuing to do so can enrage your landlord and result in your arrest (if the drugs are illegal) or eviction–or both.
- Ignore your lease terms. If you disregard any of your lease terms, including those discussed previously, you may believe it will make little difference in the short term. But your landlord will eventually find out sooner or later, and they will be indignant. This may result in a warning or even eviction from the property.
Now that you’re aware of how not to be a bad tenant, avoid the mentioned behaviors! The last thing you need is to get a bad reference or be blacklisted, making it difficult (if not impossible) to rent a new place to live. If you are in the market for a new rental home, browse our listings. We can help you find a quality rental home in Greensboro.