Why I Wait for the Right Tenant – Even When It “Costs Me Money”

It’s always tempting to fill a vacancy fast. The house is ready, utilities are running, and every day feels like money disappearing. And in rental property management, that pressure is exactly where most tenant screening mistakes begin.

But every time I’ve rushed, I’ve regretted it.

In the past two months, for one property, I pre-screened over 300 inquiries from interested people via email and finally placed a qualified tenant a couple days ago. I pre-screen everyone to avoid showing a house to unqualified people and wasting time, so I end up with very few actual showings. I thought I was going to lose my mind answering all these messages — it’s not usually anywhere near this many inquiries or this long. Normally, I have someone solid in two weeks or less.

What Good Tenant Screening Actually Shows You

Here are a few gems from this time around:

• One person with 8 prior evictions from 8 different landlords and a 540 credit score
• Obvious fake paystubs and fake landlord references — their “work supervisor” and their “property manager” conveniently had the same first name and cell number, and the reference answered the phone with, “Hey yo, wazzzzuuuupppp!”
• Someone with a 650 credit score whose two adult relatives they wanted to co-sign for both had credit in the 400s 🚩🚩🚩
• Several: “I need to move in by tomorrow, my landlord is a slumlord.” Translation: eviction filed or about to be filed.
• A lot of emotional stories trying to get me to bypass criteria. I don’t do that. I don’t even respond when they clearly don’t qualify, like $1,200/mo income for a $1,550/mo house (with no section 8 voucher).
• And many other “interesting” stories.

If you’re curious how easily rental listings get stolen and misused, here’s an example of a recent one I dealt with: Rental Scams

Good tenant screening isn’t about perfection – it’s about finding stable, low drama renters who fit your criteria.

I am not looking for perfect.
I’m looking for stable.

Stable means:

• Rent paid on time without chaos and excuses
• No long trail of burned landlords behind them
• Income that matches what they claim
• Normal, adult communication
• No “I need to move in tomorrow” talk

And if it takes screening 300 people to find that, I’ll do it.

Because I’ve lived the alternative.

The $3,500 Mistake That Changed How I Screen

At the very beginning of my rental journey in 2018, I approved the first applicant with a credit score over 600 because I wanted to get someone in right away. 🙄 I did verify income and did a background and credit check. But I overlooked some things and justified things I shouldn’t have. Because I was new and unsure of myself. That decision led to:

• Multiple unauthorized occupants
• Breeding cats in the house for money – with no litter box
• Constant parties
• Heavy smoking and smoke damage
• Cigarette butts sitting on top of the gas water heater (yes, really)
• Taking apart the gas furnace themselves instead of calling me (very very bad)
• Fights with the upstairs tenant (both of them calling me to complain)
• Property damage
• An unauthorized dog that bit me
• Several wrecked vehicles parked all over the yard being “worked on”
• Physical fights among themselves and calling ME to intervene
• Months of ongoing chaos and drama

I asked them to leave after only 6 months, and thankfully all of them did – even the unauthorized ones – with no eviction court involved. I think 9 people were living in that two-bedroom apartment by the time I asked them to leave. Could’ve been more. 🤷‍♀️

That single decision cost me over $3,500 between lost rent, utilities, and repairs – and that was DIY rehab. With contractors? It would have been much higher.

There was plenty to clean up – I did the cleanout myself rather than writing a check.

And I came very close to selling and getting out of this business altogether because I thought entire situation was “normal landlord life” and how it was always going to be.

Spoiler: It’s not.

Vacancy is temporary.
The wrong tenant is a financial and psychological sinkhole.

This is one of those lessons that usually comes with experience.

Screening Protects Your Property and Your Peace

So yes, I will wait.

I will run full credit, eviction, and background checks.
I will pay attention to behavior, not just words.
I will call references.
I will verify everything. Twice.
I will verify I was given REAL paycheck stubs.

This is a business, not a charity.
My job is to protect the house, my time, and my mental health.

Good tenants exist. They pay on time, communicate like adults, and treat the home with respect. Those are the people I rent to. Everyone else – I pass.

If you want chaos? Skip screening. If you want peace?

Then screen like your bank account depends on it – because it does.