Renting your home is a scary thing, especially when you are trying to find the right tenants to occupy your house. Many military families rent their houses from afar and can't be in the same city as their new tenants. If this is the case for you, it's very important to ask the right questions to make sure you get good tenants to move into your house.

Questions to Ask Future Tenants

Why are you moving?

This might have a simple answer if the future tenant is a military family, however if they are not military, it's nice to know why they are moving. If something in their answer doesn't make sense, ask for more clarification.

When do you plan to move-in?

It's good to have an idea when they plan to move in. You don't want to hold a home for a family and then have them back out at the last minute. It's smart to ask for a full months rent to hold the home (or you could ask for a reduced amount of the rent, whichever you feel most comfortable with).

What's your monthly income or BAH?

If they are military, it's nice to know if their BAH will cover all their expenses. If it doesn't, you want to make sure the spouse has a job to cover the extra expenses. If they are not military, you want to make sure they make enough money to cover the rent.

Will you have the security deposit and first month rent upon move-in?

This is very important and can tell you a lot about your future tenants.  If they can have the security deposit and rent, they most likely will pay on time in the future. If they don't, it's important to understand why. You want to be firm about when rent is due from the beginning. If you are flexible, they might take this as a sign that it's ok to be late on rent.

Can you give me references?

Always, always ask for references. Make sure some references are past landlords or employers. Don't let all the references be family and friends.

Are you employed?

This is important. If they are in the military then you know the answer is yes, but if they are not in the military, it's important to know if they are employed because they might be moving to the city to find a job. This can cause problems if it takes them longer than expected to find a job and they struggle paying rent on time.

Have you ever be evicted?

Most likely they won't answer this question honestly, but you can learn a lot about how they answer it or if they hesitate and it's obvious if they are lying.

Do you have pets?

Make sure you get a pet deposit if you decide to allow pets.

Describe your lifestyle? (shift work, work nights, stay up late etc)

It's good to know if they will be coming and going at odd times of the night. If the rental is an apartment or townhouse, this might affect your decision.

Can I have a copy of your passport?

This is good in states you think they might be an illegal immigrant.

Do you have a rental guarantor?

You will need paperwork if there is a rental guarantor. Basically the guarantor is responsible if the tenant doesn't pay. This would be good in situations where the tenant doesn't' have a job yet.

Staying long term?

If they are military, find out how long they think they will be staying. Some orders are 15 months, while others may be 3 years or longer. It's important to encourage honesty so they don't say they are staying longer just to secure the house.

Any questions for me?

It's important to have open lines of communication from the beginning. Be open to their questions and concerns.

These questions are great to ask over the phone, but I encourage you to ask them in person or over Skype, Facetime, or Google Hangout. You can learn a lot about someone when you see their expressions and mannerisms.

Social Media

Lastly, find out information about them on the internet. Google their name, look at their Facebook profile or any other social media platforms. Don't feel bad, employers are doing this all the time now when interviewing candidates. You might find out a lot about them with little effort.

Don't ask about religion, race or anything that would discriminate against them living in your home. These types of questions would violate Fair Housing.

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