Phone Calls

1. Often us landlords make numerous calls to possible candidates to get information or return a call from a voice mail left regarding a property.  If the voice mail left to you is guttural, ignorant sounding (you be the judge on that), or seems desperate, you might consider that a tenant red flag.  If a person approaches you in this manner for a business transaction, they're probably not used to being treated with or giving respect.  Move on!
2. Some mobile providers allow their customers to play music while your call is connected to them.  If that music is some form of guttural and violent music (again, you be the judge) then move on.  Chances are this person is not prepared to behave in respectful manner with you or your property!
3. Several times over the years I've returned phone calls to potential renters and had them answer in highly agitated and angry voices.  Just recently a I returned a call to a woman who answered with "Who is **THIS**?"  I replied I was the landlord returning her call about the rental she inquired about, thanked her, hung up, and put her number on block.  Why did she answer like that?  Drama?  Suspected I was a bill collector?  Who cares?  I don't need drama or people who are being pestered by bill collectors in my property and neither do you!  Who needs tenant background check sites when you can use a phone call to identify tenant red flags.
4. Let's face it, people in the lower demographics of renters rarely keep their cell phone providers.  Like rental properties, they get a number, run up a bill, and move on to the next vendor or scam their current one into getting a new phone and number.  A good clue someone has a new phone is if you call their voice mail box and it is in its default configuration or not set up at all.  Use this as a tenant red flag and proceed with caution.

Face to face

1. We all like to say and believe we don't judge on appearance but we do on some level.  I know I do and have no problem with that.  Is it my sole attribute of how I gauge a person?  No, but it serves as a means of gathering information about someone.  If that someone shows up to your property and is garishly tattooed from the neck up and/or extremely pierced, consider this a tenant red flag.  Chances are good this person does NOT hold a professional and/or stable job.  Consider this a tenant red flag and heavily inquire about their work history complete with references.
2. Have you ever been around someone who simply talked too much?  And not in a good way either!  Once I met a potential renter who in the 15 minutes I was around her, learned about her recent life.  Did I ask her?  No, she told me.  I learned about her past boyfriend beating her so severely she had a metal plate in her head.  I learned about her latest offspring and was shown a picture.  I learned about the guy she showed up with and how he's her fiance but doesn't know it.  I learned about her job at Taco Bell.  I learned a lot more that I simply didn't care about.  For some reason a lot of people who think they're slick try to out talk you with nonsense and will give a speech riddled with nonsense when asked a simple question.  Keep your eye on these people.
3. "I really like this property.  I'll take it...right now!  How much do you have?  I've got it right now!  I'll give you $XXX right now!" Ever hear that one before?  I have many times.  I sent people like that packing.  Why?  They're desperate and/or trying to dazzle you with cash in order to bypass your rental process and put them in the home.  Don't be tempted by these people.  For all we know that's the last amount of cash they have to their name until tax return time and next month you'll hear the old "I'm short this month!"  Consider this a major tenant red flag and use it to screen renters.

Promises, promises!

1. You meet a potential renter and they seem okay.  They look around the house, ask some inane questions, discuss rental costs, and then tell you they like the house and want to improve it.  It might be a promise to build a fence in the back yard so their child can play soccer.  Or maybe it's an assurance their uncle's, brother's, cousin can get a hold of some wood flooring which they will install because they think it will look good in a room.  Maybe even it's a quick sentence dropped of how they will build a deck on the back.  Really!?  You can do all of that but here you are in this neighborhood, in this rental, trying to ingratiate yourself upon me with promises of improving the property?  Often this is a means to lure the unsuspecting landlord into thinking the renter is a good bet and to disregard any unsavory attribute you might discover about this person.  Problem is it won't happen and you'll end up worst off for having put this tenant in.  Move on...hello tenant red flag!
2. "Can you work with me?"  is often synonymous with "Can you let me screw you for as long as I can on rent and then move on?"  Often the quid pro quo will consist of the potential renter offering some work in lieu of paying rent.  It could be cleaning the home or making some repair (often combined with the do-it-yourselfer described above)  Whenever you hear this comment, move this person to the bottom of your short list and keep looking.

Closing the deal

1. You did your homework on a potential renter.  You agree upon a date when you want to sign papers and close the deal.  On that date you arrive, paperwork is gone over, and papers are signed or about to be signed.  The potential renter pulls out a stack of mismatched cash (a few $50 bills, some $20s, several $10s, lots of $5s and $1s) and with puppy-dog eyes and a humble voice ask if you can accept less than the agreed upon amount.  Don't do it!  The renter knew (or should have) how much you expected of them and completely disregarded it.  Under no circumstances should you deal with this person.  Rip up the contract and escort them off your property.  Even if they promise to come back with the full amount consider what they did an egregious attempt to scam you or at the very least they put their needs ahead of your lease!  This is a major tenant red flag and use this to screen renters.

Utilities

1. Do you package utilities into your rental costs?  I don't and renters are expected to pay for all utilities.  If you are approached at some point in the transaction with renter and asked to pay for some or all of the utilities then raise your eyebrow and inquire why.  Most if not all utilities require a credit check and also will not allow services to be turned on in a person's name if they owe the utility.  In other words, the potential renter has screwed over the utility to the point where they can't have it turned on in their name or the name of a co-renter/co-inhabitant if they wanted to.  Tread with caution!
2. You get a renter in and things are going well.  Utilities have been switched over and all seems to be going well.  Or is it?  Call the utilities servicing your property and ask if they can help to identify whose name the service was put in.  Often utilities will not disclose this information but often you ask if it was turned on in the renter's name or anyone else in the home or on the lease.  Don't fish as this will make the utility suspicious.  If the utility says one of the signees is not on the lease and the renter has children, ask about one of them.  I've often had adult renters use their children to start up services.  If you find suspicious names on utilities then you need to keep an extra cautious eye on the renters because if they screwed the water company, you could be next!