Some Tenants Have Something to Hide: Get to the Bottom of it
When it is in your best interest, being snoopy is good for you and your Atlanta investment properties. The state of Georgia is very particular on the right to privacy of a tenant and it is important that you uphold that. It is however also important to realize some of the issues that tenants lie about so that you can make informed decisions. As a landlord you might be interested to know that many establishments rented out as storage properties ended up being drug manufacturing units, shelters for illegal immigrants and warehouses for counterfeit goods. The only time when the state of Georgia allows for a landlord to enter rented premises without the tenant’s consent is during a fire or gas leakage incident.
Conducting a background check on an individual might not be enough to uncover activities that go on behind closed doors. You may approach the previous storage complex management in confidence because they might know what an individual does. Sometimes this too will not yield results so you can use clever ways to gain entry. Having camera surveillance as part of the security system is a good way to monitor movement around a storage facility.
Observing the interaction of new tenants to others in the establishment will help you know what kind of person you are dealing with. This goes hand in hand with knowing the nature of business your tenants are involved in. A casino business may go unnoticed in some areas of the city, but when you put one in the same floor as an education complex, you are likely to have trouble. Keep in your mind the list of business you have an interest in renting out space to and stick with that. Including it in the lease agreement is a good way of unbiased selection of tenants.
It is not a crime to rear pets but the law is very clear on the rearing and keeping of exotic animals. Some tenants would want to do this because it is a good source of income but just consider the risk to other tenants when a snake, lizard or spider escapes the premises. As a landlord, be on the lookout for large volumes of pet supplies because it may indicate an unwelcomed resident.
You will not get a straight answer from a tenant even when all the signs point to an irregularity on their part. Do your investigation quietly then confront them when you have gathered enough evidence.
