On June 25, 2017, the BET Awards were held in Los Angeles, California. One of the attendees was Lil’ Kim, a rapper who became famous in the Mid-1990s. TMZ reported that Lil’ Kim allegedly rented a house for $20,000 to presumably have an after-party following the event. Keep in mind that the BET Awards only go on for a few hours. Anyway, all the hotels must have been booked, because Lil’ Kim saw it fit to rent this house for $20,000.
When Lil’ Kim and some companions went to check out the home, they were not satisfied with what they saw. They demanded their money back and an argument ensued. Police were called, but were unable to resolve the issue, as this was a civil dispute. Ms. Kim was instructed to leave the property. Sometime during the early morning hours of June 25, 2017, a group of masked robbers showed up at the home demanding a refund. As you would expect, they were swiftly given this refund in the amount of $20,000.
So what does this story have to do with tenant screening? Well….to ask the question is to answer it. Lil’ Kim is a celebrity, but what if she was not? Would you rent your VERY expensive property to her given her criminal record? Probably not. I say all that to say this….The best way to prevent bad tenants and the resulting headaches is by not letting bad tenants become tenants in the first place.