Never rent your apartment to tenants like these

Problems with a rental rarely come down to the rate or the condition of the renovation - more often it's about the specific tenant. Here are five behavior patterns that signal future trouble already at the first meeting, and how to screen a tenant through public sources before signing a lease.

Those who start haggling right away

If a prospective tenant asks to lower the rate, replace the utility meters at your expense, or buy extra appliances "against the rent" within the first few minutes, that's a reason for caution. This kind of behavior usually comes from people who can barely afford that exact rent - meaning payments are likely to be late.

Those without a stable income

A freelancer with no formal contracts, a self-employed person with no income history, an employee still on probation - none of this is technically a problem, but the income is unstable in these cases, and rent that eats up more than a third of income almost always signals a risk of missed payments. Don't hesitate to ask for proof of income - a 2-NDFL certificate (available through Gosuslugi) or a bank statement of turnover for sole proprietors and self-employed people.

Those who start asserting their rights from the doorstep

If someone starts dictating terms at the first meeting - "you're obligated to register me," "you can't evict me without a court order," "sort out parking with the neighbors" - that's a red flag. After moving in, such a tenant often changes the locks, restricts the owner's access, and files complaint after complaint. The right response to this behavior is a polite refusal, right at the viewing.

Those who treat the rental like a hotel

A separate category - tenants who usually have the money but no boundaries: from day one they ask for a new sofa, redone lighting, a glazed balcony, and a full clean, all at the owner's expense. Neither a lease nor a deposit protects against this - only turning them down at the viewing stage.

Renting to friends or acquaintances

Renting to a friend or acquaintance can feel like the safe option, but it often becomes the source of the hardest situations: personal ties make it awkward to demand timely payment, raise the rate to market level, or insist on the lease terms. Documentation and screening should be the same for every tenant, regardless of the personal relationship.

How to draft the lease

A lease template downloaded for free online usually doesn't protect the owner's interests - it lacks the terms that actually matter to you specifically. The security deposit should be written in separately from the last month's rent - otherwise the tenant has no incentive to take care of the property during their final month. It's also important to state clearly in the lease exactly who will be living in the apartment - not just the person signing it, but every family member or other resident.

What you can check about a tenant before signing

• The Federal Bailiff Service's website - any overdue debts.
• The Unified Federal Register of Bankruptcy Information - whether the person has been through bankruptcy.
• Any legal entities registered to the tenant, and related court disputes.
• The magistrate court case database for their previous places of registration - debt collection orders are often issued there.
• Public social media and publicly available signs of credit discipline.

Want to rent out your property without the risk

Describe the property by phone - we will find a tenant, screen them through public sources, and draft a lease that protects your interests.

8 909 440-80-80

All articles