Sometimes tenants are afraid to confess to mishaps and other things, for fear of having to pay more money or even having their lease terminated.

Here are seven secrets that tenants may try to keep from you.

1. They have adopted a pet.

It’s no surprise that some tenants will sneak in pets either because they were not allowed to on the lease, or they didn’t want to pay the extra fees.

 2. They move someone else in.

An unscreened tenant can be a violent criminal, a pedophile or someone with a questionable rental history. More occupants also means, more wear and tear on the property.

 3. The toilet is clogged or a leaky faucet.

Tenants may try to ignore problems by using another bathroom or even try to fix it themselves to avoid paying for the plumbing. Ignoring plumbing problems can be disastrous and extremely expensive.

4.  A new water stain on the ceiling

Water stains often mean a leaky roof and if ignored, the problem will worsen every time it rains.

 5. There is mysterious water on the floor.

It is never a good thing when water veers out of wet areas, into areas like the living room. It could mean something like the bathtub is leaking, which could be disastrous for wooden floors etc

6. Cockroaches and other Pests.

Some tenants don’t report pests because they are afraid they will have to pay for the exterminations costs.

7.They have lost their key.

Some tenants won’t report that they have lost a key because they fear they will also have to pay for all the locks to be changed.

The answer for all of these issues is, to have very clear terms on the Lease Agreement that the tenant will understand and abide by. Encourage your tenants to contact you immediately via the RealRenta platform, which will keep a record of all interactions between you and your tenant, and assist you in keeping a clear, easily accessible and comprehensive history of your property.