First Principles of Landlording: Avoiding Bad Tenants

Evicting a non-paying tenant in Ontario can take up to 8 to 12 months due to backlogs at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). During this time, the landlord receives zero rental income, pays for legal representation, and must continue to cover property taxes and mortgage payments.

This regulatory environment has given rise to the **"professional tenant"**—individuals who exploit legal loopholes to live rent-free for months, moving from one property to another.

To survive in this landscape, landlords must return to the **first principles of property management**: prevention is the only viable defense.

The First Principles of Landlording

1. Verification Over Trust

A friendly applicant who drives a nice car and tells a great story is not a verified renter. Never accept documents (like credit reports) provided directly by the tenant without verifying them through an independent, secure screening service.

2. Forensic Document Audits

Professional tenants frequently submit altered bank statements, fake pay stubs, and synthetic credit histories. You must look for inconsistencies, verify employment with HR departments independently, and utilize advanced forensic tools to check for PDF metadata tampering.

3. Strict Criteria Adherence

Do not make exceptions. If an applicant cannot verify their income or refuses to authorize a credit check, reject the application immediately. Making exceptions due to "gut feelings" is how landlords get trapped in multi-month eviction cycles.

FastScreen: Your Line of Defense

We built FastScreen to help landlords apply these first principles effortlessly. Our system helps verify document structures, compile credit data, and highlight key risk indicators in minutes.

Protect your investment. Screen every applicant with FastScreen before handing over the keys.