How to View a Rental Home: A Tenant’s Guide.
When it comes to viewing a property, there are a couple of things that you may want to consider. Whether we like it or not, there is truth to the saying that “first impressions are lasting impressions.” With that in mind, I would recommend that if you schedule a viewing of a property, whether through a company or with an owner, that you adhere to a few 
simple guidelines:
Be punctual!
When I have a busy day of showings lined up, one late viewer can set off a chain reaction of schedule-destroying mayhem that causes me to fly through Santa Clarita like Steve McQueen trying to get to my next showing on time. It also makes me wonder about our odds of rent coming in on time if the viewer doesn’t show up on time. Obviously things do pop up unexpectedly. Should that be the case however, it is a good practice to call and let the agent/owner know that you are running behind, unable to make it, etc.
Be respectful!
Oftentimes, the properties that we show are occupied by either the property owner or an existing tenant that is planning to move out. Should you find yourself being shown an occupied home, you should try to keep the crazy to a minimum. I have shown properties to people who will flick cigarettes onto the driveway, lawn, and bushes at the home they are viewing. I have shown homes to folks that allow their children to run through the house like wild banshees, picking up the occupant’s belongings, chasing pets, scream at the top of their lungs, etc. I have been shocked by applicants that swear loudly in front of current occupants, the occupant’s children, and neighbors. Consider this: if the current occupant is the owner of the home, what do you think the odds will be of him renting to you after observing that madness? Property managers are hired to keep the owner’s best interest in mind. If two applications come in on a home where one applicant was polite and respectful and the other was the human embodiment of total chaos, guess who is getting the home?
Even though an owner may not live there anymore, they may still have friends among neighbors that they will want to keep happy, or they may have an emotional attachment to their home coupled with a very real fear of it being destroyed. So if you want a quality place to live, just remember that when it comes to viewing a home, common sense should reign supreme!
