One of the biggest mistakes landlords make is not properly screening their prospective tenants. It’s not enough to assume that people applying to rent your space are reliable and trustworthy. If you don’t do your homework and thoroughly check backgrounds, you could be setting yourself up for unfavorable consequences.
Here are a few tips on how to successfully screen your prospective tenants!
Outline Your Requirements
Be sure to outline the qualities of your perfect tenants in the requirements section of your listing to attract the most suitable candidates who will meet your expectations.
- Are they punctual enough to pay rent on time?
- Do they have a criminal record?
- Can they afford to pay on time?
- Is their job stable enough for them to pay regularly?
Keep these questions at the forefront of your mind when writing your list of requirements.
Order Background Checks
To minimize the possible risks while renting out your properties, you should order background checks from your prospects to know if they had any criminal records in the past. A background check helps you to assess the candidate’s character and history. Background checks provide information on the tenant’s professional qualification, employment history, possible work conflicts, or discharges.
Run Credit Checks
Get a credit report that will show you the details of any applicant’s payment history. You’ll be able to see if this person has always paid on time during the past years and whether they can pay the rent now. Be sure to receive the latest data on your candidates and verify their identity, rental history, employment background, and creditworthiness.
Conduct Interviews
Giving your applicants a call or meeting them in person can give you a better feel of who they are and if they will be a good fit for your property. Feel free to ask them about their lifestyle and preferences but avoid discriminatory questions based on their skin color or national origin, race, religion, sex, family status, or possible disability.
If you own several properties or many units, constantly performing tenant screenings can be a real hassle, but it must be done. At Sunshine Premium Properties, we offer several property management services to make your day-to-day operations smooth sailing.
Call us today at (407)414-7581 and let us take care of your tenant screening for you!