Tenant Screening News

A number of people enter the real estate business but soon find it extremely difficult to manage it and make more money than they are spending. Most new landlords make the big mistake of using their first impression for determining whether to accept a potential application of not. Although experience helps, which new landlords lack, but there are also some other things that can be used for determining whether to accept or reject an application. So here are 4 tips for new landlords to help them avoid tenant problems in their properties.

Tip # 1

The first tip is that you should make every prospective tenant fill out a rental application which would include their present and previous landlords contact information. If the prospective renter is a problem, there is a big possibility that the present landlord will not tell you the truth in order to get rid of them. Therefore, it is important that you contact at least their previous 2 landlords to get accurate and quality feedback regarding then. The application must also include their work information including the name and contact information of their employer/manager. Contact them for verifying if the prospect actually works there and the income reported in the application is accurately listed.

Tip # 2

Get a copy of their driver’s license as a proof of identification. This will prove their name and other information. Problematic prospects are more likely to rent the house in someone else name by using wrong information is the application. This may include using the name of their best friend who might have a positive feedback from his previous landlords for taking advantage of their name. With a copy of the driver’s license, you will be able to confirm if the license is of the person in front of you. Don’t rent out your home to someone who refuses to provide you with a proof of identification.

Tip # 3

Perform resident screening on every applicant and you should provide this on your application form that you will be performing a credit check and therefore, the prospects will have to sign off the request. The application must also request them to list their social security number to aid you in running a credit check. Normally, one of biggest problems faced by new owners is the failure to get paid their rent and therefore, it is imperative to perform a credit check on each and every applicant.

For any landlord, it can be very expensive losing a tenant since the landlord will not be able to collect rental income during the time a property is empty. Moreover, the landlord will also have to pay for repairs in order the get the property back in to rentable condition. If the tenant stays put, all these costs can be avoided and this is the very reason why all landlords look to reduce tenant turnover as much as possible. So if you are a landlord, the following tips are bound to help you.

Tip # 1 – Fairness

Every tenant wants a fair landlord. Just put yourself in their shoes and you will understand what I mean. If the renter is having problems and the landlord is offering helping hand, this will always be in the back of their mind and something they will remember at the time the lease is due to expire. If you are fair to them, they would much rather stay with you since they wouldn’t want to lose such a landlord who is nice and reasonable.

Tip # 2 -Play by the rules

Outline the details of what you expect from the tenant at the onset of the lease. Where the lease states a certain date for the payment of rent and any late payment have a certain fix charge, then stand by it and charge that fee. You should never look to relax your own set rules because if you show relaxation once, the tenants won’t take any of your rules seriously

Tip # 3 – Take care of the Repair work

The best thing any landlord can do is taking care of the repair requests. This is something which is given a lot of importance by most tenants because this can be a big hassle and therefore, renters are far more willing to move out of a property where the owner is taking care of this part. Renters would even be willing to pay more in terms of rent at other places if that means that the landlord will take care of the repair requests on a timely basis. If you do this, there is a great chance that your tenants will stay with you and renew their lease agreement when it expires.

The above 3 tips really work and are something that is expected of a good landlord. So be one!

There is absolutely no doubt that the issue of tenant credit check and tenant screening are of immense important when it comes to the management of property. It is very crucial for the landlord to ensure that he makes use of this to make for the safety of his or her property. Indeed it could also have an impact on the kind of returns that you get from the property. This has led to the growth of several companies taking charge of this some of which are operating on the internet. Under normal circumstances they are composed very qualified and experienced people who would be able to do due diligence on your tenant screening.

It would interest you to know that when we talk about the tenant background check we are not just referring to the clearing of bad credit records of these tenants. Indeed they are also for the choosing of very good tenants for your property. There are some people however who think that the score of their credit is not very crucial and that the most vital thing is that of the tenant credit check report. Indeed the tenant credit check is also very important when it comes to the granting of property or not.

When you are able to make use of the tenant checks online you would be going into issues like criminal records, eviction reports and background check among others. This would go a long way to help you filter out those tenants that you may not want to deal with. Therefore the landlord credit check is the best way for you to the maximum your right of long term security for your property no matter how much it values. There are some people who refer to this as tenant screening as it is a part you can never ignore as a landlord.

It would interest you to know that when there are no effective checks with respect to tenant credit, a landlord would most likely find himself dealing with tenants who would not be able to effectively pay their rent. This would surely be a nightmare for any landlord anywhere. Indeed when it comes to doing a good tenant referencing, most of these companies would offer you the data and information that would assist you to effectively predict the credit score of your tenant. This would then also help to verify whether they are financially sound or not.

Moreover when you go in for a good tenant refereeing company they would be able to help you to collect very important information about the tenant. A good service provider would provide you with a very fast system of referencing that would assist you to take calculated and swift decisions. They would surely be there for you twenty four hours a day seven days a week. Indeed tenant credit check is all about assessment of tenants. This way your property would be very much safe from any form of risks.

Being a landlord is not an easy job neither it is to find the right tenants and then hook on to them. However, here in this article, we will be looking at some very important tips that must be known and followed by every landlord to ensure that they keep on to their tenants and they don’t have any problems with their rental business.

Here are some great tips to keep your property rented at all times.

Property management

When you hire someone for property management, ensure that they are qualified and experience. They should also be honest and open with your in all their dealings so when hiring, see a sample of their currently managed properties.

Keep in check with the market rents

Make sure you don’t overcharge from what the rent is currently in the market. Moreover, a great thing for keeping tenants is to offer them longer leases to encourage them to stay there and give them a sense of ownership.

Treat your renters well

Treating your renters well will not only encourage them to stay and look after your property but you they also help you through word of mouth by referring you to their friends. If, on the other hand, you don’t treat them well, then they will vacate your property whenever they get the opportunity.

Neutral Décor

Keep your properties simple because you don’t want fussy wallpapers that are not only difficult to maintain, but make your properties look smaller than they actually are.

Landlords and Tenants laws

Every law has different laws applying to landlords and tenancies and there are for the purpose of protecting renters from unprincipled landlords. These require certain terms to be followed when setting out a tenancy agreement. Ensure that you are aware of the laws and abide by them.

Landlord and public liability insurance

You are asking for trouble if you don’t insure your property and it is extremely important to have on for protecting you against and possible suit file by your tenants.

Have the agreement in writing

It is not only the law which requires the tenancy agreement to be in writing but it is a prudent practice since it helps in avoiding any future misunderstanding as both parties know exactly what is required of them. Ensure that the agreement is as required by the law.

Following the above tips will keep your tenants satisfied and your business running.



A number of people enter the real estate business but soon find it extremely difficult to manage it and make more money than they are spending. Most new landlords make the big mistake of using their first impression for determining whether to accept a potential application of not. Although experience helps, which new landlords lack, but there are also some other things that can be used for determining whether to accept or reject an application. So here are 4 tips for new landlords to help them avoid tenant problems in their properties.

Tip # 1

The first tip is that you should make every prospective tenant fill out a rental application which would include their present and previous landlords contact information. If the prospective renter is a problem, there is a big possibility that the present landlord will not tell you the truth in order to get rid of them. Therefore, it is important that you contact at least their previous 2 landlords to get accurate and quality feedback regarding then. The application must also include their work information including the name and contact information of their employer/manager. Contact them for verifying if the prospect actually works there and the income reported in the application is accurately listed.

Tip # 2

Get a copy of their driver’s license as a proof of identification. This will prove their name and other information. Problematic prospects are more likely to rent the house in someone else name by using wrong information is the application. This may include using the name of their best friend who might have a positive feedback from his previous landlords for taking advantage of their name. With a copy of the driver’s license, you will be able to confirm if the license is of the person in front of you. Don’t rent out your home to someone who refuses to provide you with a proof of identification.

Tip # 3

Perform a credit check on every applicant and you should provide this on your application form that you will be performing a credit check and therefore, the prospects will have to sign off the request. The application must also request them to list their social security number to aid you in running a credit check. Normally, one of biggest problems faced by new owners is the failure to get paid their rent and therefore, it is imperative to perform a credit check on each and every applicant.

As a landlord, the law places a number of responsibilities on you which you must abide by. As a landlord, you need to ensure that the property you are renting out is safe, clean and habitable before you sign a lease with a tenant. This means that you must make sure that your property is complying with the codes set out for homes and buildings in that particular location.

You will also be fully responsible to maintaining all appliances that are part of the agreement between you, as a landlord, and the tenant including operational supply. If you are renting a single family home, then the tenant will normally be responsible to bear this cost.

The landlord must also fix anything owned by him in the property if it breaks or malfunctions and results in affecting the safety of the tenant making the residence uninhabitable and unfit.

Furthermore, if the residence you are renting out is part of a complex which is fully owned by the landlord for e.g. an apartment building, the landlord will have additional responsibilities to ensure that the common area is kept safe and clean at all time. For an apartment building landlord, the responsibilities would generally include ensuring that each and every renter is provided with amenities like clean running water, adequate heat in winter times, hot water while allowing the tenant full control of these amenities. If the landlord owns appliances needing maintained, the landlord will have to give sufficient notice to the tenant to inform them that they are coming in for the repair work. As a landlord, you cannot just enter anytime you like and in most cases, you must serve a minimum of 24 hour notice unless it is an emergency.

The above were the landlord responsibilities with respect to the property being rented out. However, these are not just it and there are further responsibilities which the landlord holds towards the tenant.

These include being responsible for finding and contracting with the right tenant and allowing them to make use of the property according to the terms listed out in the agreement. The landlord will also be responsible for setting rent, the basis of payment and its collection. The landlord may choose to charge a security deposit which must not exceed the rent of one month unless the state they live in permits otherwise.

The above is a helicopter view of landlord responsibilities and there may be more depending on the state you live in.

You should never underestimate the value and importance of the tenant background check and the tenant screening. This is because as a landlord you never know the person who is going to stay in your property. The fact that everybody is not equal means that you could get bad people into your property without doing the needed background checks. It would interest you to know that there are a number of referencing tools on the internet today for one to make use of when it comes to tenants.

Before you ever rent out your property to someone there is the need to ensure that you are assured of the character and conduct of the person. Most of these tools available online would help you analyze any personal information that are held by the credit account agencies. Some come with very advanced features and checks on their criminal, professional and personal records. When you are able to detect some of the risky things about the prospective tenants, most of the high risk and fraudulent ones would have been eliminated. Surely the tenant screening and tenant background check would be very helpful.

It would interest you to know that a good tenant background check would go a long way to offer you information as to insolvency that may have been filed against the tenant for the past six years. Moreover some of these reports could be submitted to a number of the companies for adequate and comprehensive analysis to be done on the tenant. They would be able to do what is known as risk rating. This is where the tenant is categorized from high risk to low risk. It therefore indicates the percentage of good conduct that the tenant has. It would also be possible to find out whether this tenant is registered any electoral roll.

There are others who also make use of some powerful software either on the internet or in their home to do tenant background check and tenant screening. There is some of the computer software which would be able to deliver the assessment of the tenant through email or fax within a few hours of submission. Most of the reports that are generated would offer you information with concerning adverse data, bankruptcies, country court judgment, poor payment records and repossessions among others. Other information that you could lay hands on would be the address of the previous residence, bank references and any other post analysis recommendation.

When this is done by professionals they would be able to offer you a tenant credit check. This then helps you to determine the suitability of the person with regards to the payment of the rental fees. With a very good credit check you can then know whether the person has the habit of defaulting on payments especially when it comes to that of his credit card. There is the chance to verify the income, salary and some other checks concerning his economic status.

Not everybody can be a successful landlord. It is a business that demands certain expertise and skills. If you are someone who is serious about being a landlord and earn your livelihood by having renters pay your mortgage, then it is very important that you master the art of being a landlord so the cash flows in more than it flows out. One key point here is to know your legal obligations because different states have different rules so make sure you abide by them.

Let’s now look at our 3 great tips to help you be a successful landlord

1.) The first one is that most important one which is to know your legal framework and make sure you abide by it. This includes for example, knowing how often you are allowed by the law to increase your rent and whether there is any legal cap on the increase. Simply search online for the tenancy act of your state.

2.) The second great tip to be a successful landlord is to know the art of picking the right tenants. A great trick would be to book the showing of the rental property to all the prospective tenants at the same time. This goes in your favor since it creates some urgency amongst prospective renters as they feel competition. Ensure that you have your applications for distribution to parties that are interested and let them know that you will get back to them. Always check out a tenant before selecting one. Do credit checks and contact with their previous landlords. Trust your guts and rent out to someone you feel is the right person.

3.) Ensure that you have a good landlord system in place. This includes things like keeping a separate file for every property you own, knowing where you should advertise like ads or signboards etc. you will have to build in a list of people whom you can trust to provide you with quality work as and when required like electricians, plumbers, gutter cleaners and so on. One of the very first things that you must with all of your new properties is to get their door locks changed and keep a master key with yourself. You will not want to have a pocket full of keys and it is always recommended to have a master key for all your properties so that you don’t have to figure out which key is for which property. If you want to be a successful landlord, you need to follow the tips you just read.

Now that you have the tips, you can use them to be a successful landlord that you’ve always wanted to be!

A lot of personal information is revealed in a background check and this is something that might be used by those with the wrong intentions. For this very reason, there is a law known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and if you are a landlord, FCRA compliance is a must when you perform credit checks. Even though this law is great to have, it only rules over matters that pertain to credit reporting agencies that follow FCRA compliance and not other companies that offer low priced background checks without any FCRA compliance. It is a must for a consumer reporting agency and for this purpose; they must abide by a set of rules that are for the purpose of keeping both, the tenants as well as the landlord compliant with the law.

Once you have done all the hard work that goes with selecting the right house and negotiating the price along with making arrangements regarding your own contribution, you will still have to get the loan approved through a lending institution. Today, one of the most important thing that lending institutions check is your credibility and credit history published by credit bureaus. FCRA compliance ensures that your credit report is accurate for the purpose of the your loan application and is not rejected on account of inaccurate date used by the credit rating agencies because as mentioned above, FCRA compliance is mandatory for them. Any error or inconsistency may be reported according to the provisions of this law. You have all the right to dispute wrong or misinterpreted information which is published by CRAs.

Guidelines are also issued by FTC to landlords for FCRA compliance. Landlords make use of reports that are prepared by CRAs before they come up to the decision of whether to rent out their properties or not. According to the provision of this Act, if a tenant is rejected by the landlord on the grounds of the credit information, they must provide an adverse action notice which informs the applicant regarding the rejection along with the name of the credit agency on whose report the action was taken and the rights enjoyed by the consumers.

So if you are a landlord, the above stated provisions of law are something you must be aware of for the purpose of FCRA compliance. So the next time to perform a credit check, keep these provisions in mind.

Indeed every landlord is very much interested in ensuring that he or she gets as much information as possible about the tenant. This is what is referred to as tenant screening. After going through the interview process the next thing is to have him fill the application form. It is this form that would let you some details like the tenants previous residence, current contracts, social security number and name among others. These are very crucial for the effective conduction of tenant screening.

There are a lot of landlords who commit the mistake of overlooking some very important information. With a very good tenant background check, one should never ignore information like the previous rental history, verifying the employment information and checking the criminal record of the tenant. You should never make the error of ignoring the employment verification. It is important to note that this is pretty straightforward. Indeed all that you have to do is to take a visit or call the employer in order to confirm whether he or she works there. There is no need to rely on the contacts that have been provided by the tenant as there could be some collusion between him and a third party. You should take the tenant screening very seriously.

The criminal background of the tenant is very crucial therefore you should never overlook it. This would definitely go a long way to prevent any trouble in future. These records are kept as public information and as such you can choose to do your own investigations to determine the status of the tenant. Tenant background check with respect to property renting is therefore something you should never ignore. For some of the countries like the United States you would be able to search for this information on the internet. This can then disqualify any suspicious applicant for your property.

When you are able to do an effective tenant background check you should involve the rental history. This would even let you know the kind of person he or she was with the former landlord. There is absolutely no doubt that previous private landlords are a crucial source of reliable information since there is no reason for them to lie. It would let you the kind of tenant you are dealing with. You would know whether he is prompt at rental payments or whether he is always late. You would also come to know how well the tenant was able to look after the property in his care. You should always note that when a tenant is evicted, it means that they could be rent defaulters. They could also be uncooperative when you ask to leave your property.

There is also no reason why one should not undertake a tenant credit check. This would let you know the credit score of the tenant and how often he or she pays bills. One would then get a fair idea of his creditworthiness.