4 Important Factors Of Properly Screening Rental Tenants

Posted on: 27 June 2018

There are all kinds of ways you try to protect your rental properties. You make sure to get the best insurance and liability coverage. You install security cameras or surveillance equipment. You probably even have regular visits from an exterminator. However, one of the best ways to protect your property investments is to properly screen the people who you allow to move in. Screening tenants before they move in is a process too often forgotten or neglected by busy landlords. Check out this guide of important factors of properly screening rental tenants before they move in.

1. Know who they are. 

Knowing who a tenant is is more than just getting their name and social security number. You need to truly know who they are by taking the time to ensure the information they have given you is actually true. Some prospective tenants will use false credentials if they have something to hide. Therefore, make sure you get the proper copies of their government-issued identification to ensure they are who they say they are. 

2. Know where they are employed. 

Knowing where a tenant is employed serves a few purposes. You know they have a stable income and you know they will be able to bring in enough money to pay you rent. Don't just find out where the tenant works, get a list of work history so you can see they have maintained stable employment in the past without large gaps. 

3. Know what they've done. 

Running a criminal background check is highly important when a new tenant wants to move into your rental property. You don't have to turn someone away because they have committed a crime if you don't want to; that's up to you. However, if someone has committed a violent crime, has been charged with vandalism, or has a particularly worrisome or dangerous record, it is best that you know this information beforehand. 

4. Know where they've lived. 

Knowing a little about a prospective tenant's rental history helps to indicate what you can expect with them if they move in. Get a list of prior landlord references if possible and carry through with contacting them. Sometimes these interactions will tell you all you need to know about a prospective tenant, such as if they disregarded lease guidelines or were always late on rent. 

The more you know about a prospective tenant before they move in, the better off you will be. Reach out to a property management company for advice about properly screening tenants. 

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