Background Checks and Tenant Screening
What a Landlord Needs to Know
Unruly tenants are a major problem for landlords, so background checks and screening processes can minimize the risk of severe damage and neighborhood disputes. If an aspiring tenant seems keen to agree to your terms, initial information can be gleaned from a rental application form.
This form should contain information such as the applicants social security number, occupation and employer, personal references, names of relatives and credit references. Further information can also be attained from this form, and this will speed up any comprehensive background checks that you wish to carry out.
In order to undertake your research, ensure that your applicant has signed a release of information statement that will allow you to begin your checks. Another advantage of this is that it indicates that your applicant has nothing to hide. More importantly, it helps you to sift out unsuitable applicants that are unwilling to provide the necessary personal details.
Background checks will enable you to clarify that the tenant is exactly the person they claim to be. Furthermore, through looking into vehicle information, employment information and other sources, it’s possible that hidden information will be revealed. For example, if a certain previously unmentioned persons name appears on your search numerous times, you may have grounds to believe that this person will be frequently on your premises, and you may wish to compile further information on such a person.
One of the most vital pieces of information that you should seek out is previous address, which can be traced back over a relatively large period of time if you wish. Through this you can get in touch with former landlords and ask about their experiences with dealing with the tenant. This could save you a lot of hassle further down the line.
Criminal records should be checked also. Every landlord wants to avoid harboring fugitives or having their premises used for illegal activities. Criminal records may hint towards the tenant being potentially problematic, or simply not the type of person that you wish to have dealings with.
Applicants’ finances are also a worth investigating if possible. Self-employed tenants and business owners can be legitimately asked to provide tax filings and business related banking statements. This should make it easier to deduce whether or not your tenant has the wherewithal to meet payment deadlines.
Background checking and screening can be exceptionally important, though it helps to cut down your workload by applying common sense beforehand. Try to arrange a meeting with your applicant, to make sure that they seriously wish to rent your property, and also so that you can find out what kind of person you’re dealing with. For example, a meeting will allow you to determine if someone is amiable, clean and respectable. Anyone that gives you serious reasons to doubt their integrity can be forgotten about, allowing you to devote your time to other things, rather than carrying out needless checks.
Telephone interviews can help you out as well. Names, contact numbers and dates of potential premise occupation can be found this way. Also, landlords can find out why the person is moving and how many people are thinking of moving in. Cleanliness issues can be thought out also. If the applicant has pets or children, or happens to be a smoker, it’s better to find out early, just in case this is a problem for you.
The perfect tenant is practically impossible to find, but these nuggets of information may allow you to at least protect your property from damage. Furthermore, it should save you money and time, and also minimize the stresses that inevitably arise from being a landlord.
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 1:22 pm and is filed under Background Checks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
This is good advice; a “bad” tenant can cause no end of frustrations for a landlord.