Tenant Screening is a tedious task that all landlords agree on. This tedious job is difficult, time-consuming, and exhausting. If you aren’t a property manager, it can be overwhelming. Although it may seem appealing, tenant screening should not be abandoned. Tenant Screening is an industry-standard practice.
Although it is time-consuming, finding trustworthy tenants will bring you long-term benefits. Good screening includes a credit and criminal check, as well as reviewing past tenants. These can reveal a lot about potential tenants.
A credit check is very important. Credit checks reveal a person’s financial status and credit history back up to 7 years. Are they able pay their bills in time? Do they have accounts that are being sent to collection? Is What is their current debt? Do they have any debts? What is the amount and when was it? These details can give you a better idea of what kind of tenant they are. If the debt is tied to student loans, it may be easier to forgive or forget. If they have all their credit cards, this person may find it difficult to pay their rent on-time.
A background check should also include a review of criminal records. If you have a criminal record, it could put you and your neighbours at risk. But not all convictions have the same weight. Although minor traffic offenses or youth crimes may not prove to cause a problem for you, it is important to examine the behavior. It is important to not ignore any serious or long-standing records. You are putting yourself, your neighbours and you as tenants in danger. Your property is also in danger. It is not something you want to receive angry neighbours or be required to visit your property for any signs of damage.
Are you familiar with the names of your previous landlords? It is now time to contact the previous landlords. This is a critical step in determining if they have a habit of paying rent on time. It is important to be patient. However, we all have human natures and it is acceptable to forgive someone who has been late paying rent more than once. If they have a history with late payments, it’s important to let previous landlords know. Are they owing them money?
This is the best time of the year to see if any evictions have occurred in the past. Ask your landlords to provide a copy of any eviction records. Evictions can be shown on credit reports, but only if there are no payments. Evictions can also be caused by other reasons.
Tenant Judgments for possession and money
Unlawful detainers
Tenant Judgements for Rent
Rent arrears
Written and warranted evictions
It is important to carefully screen potential tenants. Establishing trustworthiness can help you avoid stress later. Tenants who are trustworthy and well treated will stay for longer periods of the rental agreement. This will protect your investment. When they leave, their home will be in good shape.
