Your Prior Rental History

Why Being a Good Tenant Matters Beyond Your Housing Future

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One of the biggest motivators for doing your part to be a good tenant is developing a good rental history so you’ll never have a problem renting in the future. But there are other reasons you should maintain a good relationship with your landlord and your neighbors.

Your rental history matters beyond just securing your ability to rent in the future.

  • Evictions can affect your credit. If you are evicted, it’s likely that it will also show up on your credit history report. An eviction is not something lenders or employers want to encounter when they conduct a  credit check, and it could keep you from getting an important loan, or worse, a job.
  • You never know who will be able to help you in the future. Landlords interact with a lot of people on a day-to-day basis, so it’s never a bad thing to have a good landlord on your side. If you establish a positive relationship with your landlord, and you run into a dispute with another landlord down the line, you might be able to call on your past landlord as a reference. Establishing positive connections with your neighbors can also be helpful in life.
  • Being a good tenant can also help you financially. Landlords are more likely to be flexible on lease agreements for good tenants. If you always pay your rent on time and keep your place clean, your landlord might forgo rent increases in hopes that you’ll stay in your home. If your landlord knows you are responsible, he might also be flexible on originally prohibited items like keeping a pet in your apartment.

Keeping up your end of the bargain in a rental agreement can help you in a number of ways.

Establishing a clean rental history report is just one of them.