In tenant screening, a current paycheck is something the landlord would like to have.
Tenant screening is an important tool for landlords and property managers to help them decide whether or not to rent a unit to a particular person. It’s important to use common sense and watch for warning signs, but it’s not always enough to avoid problem tenants. Information such as criminal records, housing records, and employment verification are all part of a good tenant screening, which can greatly decrease the likelihood of a landlord getting in trouble later.
A tenant with multiple evictions cannot pass a tenant screening.
In order for the owner to get the complete picture, it is helpful to get information from multiple sources. An essential part of the selection of tenants is the previous information about the dwelling. The landlord will want to know if a potential tenant has been previously evicted. A single eviction can be attributed to extenuating circumstances, but multiple evictions are a strong red flag. However, most problem tenants do not make it to eviction court, so problem tenant reports, obtained from a reputable tenant screening agency, will help fill out the picture.
Criminal records are another essential piece of information. The ability to see previous criminal records is essential when evaluating a potential tenant. Many tenant screening agencies offer criminal searches across the country, which can be very valuable. Often the simple fact that each applicant signs a criminal record search authorization will drive away those for whom this would be a problem.
It is also important to establish the financial responsibility of the tenant. A proper tenant selection will include a snapshot of a person’s financial history, debt and, of course, employment. The purpose of this portion of the assessment is to verify that an individual will be able to pay rent in full on a consistent and timely basis. A credit report and paycheck are things a landlord would like to get, and it’s also a good idea to call the person’s employer.
Tenant screening agencies have been in operation since the late 1960s and arose in response to the lack of information available to landlords about prospective tenants at the time. Obtaining things like a criminal record took so much time and effort that most landlords didn’t make it. In general, the longer a screening agency has been in business, the more trustworthy it is. Using such services costs the landlord a fee, but many will pass this fee on to the tenant as a non-refundable application fee. In fact, this serves the dual purpose of lowering landlord costs and filtering serious renters from those who are occasional buyers.