As a landlord, you don’t like having rentals available for a long period of time. The longer that they go unrented, that means you are losing money. However, don’t fall to the temptation of leasing your property to anyone until you perform a thorough tenant screening. Tenant checks and using background check services will save you money and headache in the long run. It will decrease the risk of deadbeat tenants that run off in the middle of the night owing you back rent. Your property will be more likely to be respected. In order to be a successful landlord, you need to be aware of the law as it pertains to tenants and their rights. Difficult tenants can be difficult to evict, so using background check services may be a good option.
When you perform tenant screening, there are laws that you must follow while collecting information from tenants. The most important is the Fair Housing Act (FHA). You cannot discriminate against tenants with children or because of their gender, age or sexual orientation. It is recommended that you use a standard application approved by your lawyer. It should ask for present and past employers, references, past rental history and about any criminal record. Ask for the applicant’s driver’s license number and social security numbers. Let them know that this information will only be used for tenant checks.
Source : eshdesign
