Tenant background check is a procedure used mostly by residential property managers and landlords to screen prospective tenants. The main aim is to gauge the probability that the tenant will follow the contract terms and will also care for the property in question properly. Tenants are not keen on getting screened due to various reasons. Some will be too scared and some others may feel it is unnecessary. It will be best to try and understand the factors leading to your tenant background check and come to an agreement with him or her to carry out the entire procedure.
There are a number of providers offering tenant background check services. These companies charge a fee for the information which they provide. They are normally hired by landlords since they have the experience and expertise in conducting such evaluations. If a landlord hires one, he or she can carry out the procedure himself or herself and save costs.
Many landlords also use online tenant background checks service provided by agencies as a means to check if the tenant has any criminal or financial history which may affect his or her credibility. Most of these agencies resort to public records since they do not maintain personal information of an individual. Most people would not care if their personal information is shared with another individual if the same is kept confidential.
Tenant screening is most commonly conducted for those who are planning to rent apartments or are already renting properties. This is primarily because landlords need to make sure that they are not putting their valuable assets at risk. As an alternative, they can resort to hiring screening companies that would conduct tenant background check and provide an evaluation of the person’s financial and social background. The report generated by these companies would largely focus on rental applications. Many individuals would like to rent an apartment but lack the proper credit rating and income information to qualify. These companies would be able to help them obtain the necessary credit scores and other information required for leasing apartments.
It is important to note that landlords should be vigilant when conducting tenant background check as these red flags should be raised if there is reason to suspect an applicant. Although there are instances wherein the process may be inconvenient, landlords should do everything possible to get accurate reports. If the company would incur some expenses, then so be it. After all, the purpose of a tenant background check is to prevent property loss and damage. In order to avoid problems later on, it is always best to get everything in writing, especially when the process involves dealing with rental applications.
A tenant background check is usually performed on an applicant based on his or her application and rental agreement. The information being gathered would include details about previous landlords, employment history, personal history, and the criminal background of the applicant. Although it may seem like a lot of information, it is still relatively simple information. For example, the landlord should be able to determine whether the applicant has ever faced eviction or has a history of violence in the past. The landlord can also discern whether or not the applicant has ever committed fraud or falsified information.
Upon performing the tenant background check, landlords must ensure that the report contains accurate and reliable information. This means that the report is comprehensive and updated as much as possible. It is also important that the landlord conduct the search within a reasonable time frame because applicants have the right to annul the report within three days. This means that it is not good enough for the landlord to conduct the search and then leave the report alone, since the applicant can annul it at any point within the three days.
As part of conducting the tenant background check, the landlord should also make sure that they have the applicant’s social security number. This way, if there is another person who claims to be the same person as the applicant, it would be easy to determine that the applicant is indeed who he says he is. To sum up, the best time to perform a criminal background check on a prospective tenant is when you are still looking for a home to rent. When you are already in the process of renting out your property, make sure that you already have a complete report and are not just relying on one or two pieces of information from the applicant.