Find out the background of prospective tenants by checking each applicant’s credit history and references.
Instructions
- Require prospective tenants to complete written rental applications. Ask for credit histories, personal references, and names of employers and former landlords.
- Consider charging a rental application fee to cover the costs (such as long distance phone calls) of checking references.
- Verify employment status and bank information by contacting employers and financial institutions.
- Get recommendations on the character and trustworthiness of potential renters by contacting personal references.
- Contact former landlords to check on the payment records of tenants.
- Order credit reports from a major credit reporting company – such as Equifax or Trans Union – to verify credit history and learn about any evictions or convictions.
- Contact an agency that specializes in screening tenants – such as National Tenant Network – to receive reports on applicants’ tenant histories.
This article originally appeared on ehow
