If you are scooping up some inexpensive Atlanta real estate with the intention of renting it, beware of tenants who may knowingly — or even naively — take advantage of you. Sam Tamkin, guest author at the

Equifax Personal Finance Blog, warns of tenants who simply don’t know about simple home maintenance steps, tenants who are uncooperative and tenants who cause significant damage to your home. Where’s your protection? In the lease!

Before you get to signing a lease, however, consider prevention measures. In his article, “Real Estate Investing: How to Handle Nightmare Tenants,” Tamkin recommends that every potential renter should complete an application form giving you permission to check credit reports and scores. Interview potential tenants personally, too, so you’ll know a little about who will be renting your property.

The problem Tamkin encountered with people who knew little about home maintenance was inconvenient calls with complaints about things like smoke detector batteries that needed changing. To protect yourself against the hassle, Tamkin says to write into your lease agreement a provision that holds the tenants responsible for simple home maintenance. Consider charging service fees when they call you for unnecessary visits to the home.

Damage deposits help to cover the case of significant damage to the home. Even if a tenant assures you the pet won’t cause any problem, you’ll want to charge a good fee anyway. Pets’ behavior can change when they move, when they get sick or when things just are going their way. Your carpet or hardwood floors may pay a price that damage deposit can cover.

In other cases, Tamkin says problems with your tenants may boil down to a need for increased communication. Tenants who seem uncooperative – perhaps in meeting scheduled appointments for home maintenance – may have conflicts in their personal schedules that can be worked out. If you have problems, they probably do, too, so be sure to listen.

For more tips from Tamkin, visit the Equifax Personal Finance Blog. You may have a “nightmare tenant” story you want to share, too!