Conducting Background Checks When Finding Houston Tenants
Conducting Background Checks
It is important to find responsible and reliable long-term tenants to rent your home. Not only do you want renters to stay a while and pay on time, but you also want renters who are law abiding citizens and who pose no safety threat to the neighborhood. Real Property Management Prestige screens tenants in several ways to get the best possible tenants for rental property owners while also keeping in mind discrimination and other laws that you must follow.
Rental Application Form
The rental application form will help collect information needed to conduct background checks. Rental property owners need to include questions about the tenant’s finances, such as their employment history and current income information, references, and past residence information. In addition to these questions, the renter must provide release forms to the tenant to authorize background, criminal, and credit checks. After the tenant fills out the application, look for frequent turnover of employment, frequent moves, or any gaps or blanks left open. These factors can indicate someone is not going to be a long-term tenant or is hiding something.
Contact References
Contact all references listed. The application should request references from previous landlords, employers, and character references. Real Property Management Prestige looks for gaps in landlord history or the omission of contact information that might mean that the tenant does not want a new landlord to speak with their previous landlords.
When contacting previous landlords, it is important to ask if:
- rent was paid on time consistently,
- there was any damage to the rental property,
- there was any conflict with neighbors,
- the security deposit was collected, and if
- the landlord would ultimately rent to this tenant again.
When contacting previous and current employers, it is important to find out:
- if the tenant actually works/worked for the employer,
- how long the tenant worked /has worked for the employer, and
- the tenant’s income
Real Property Management Prestige can use information from references to avoid risky renters.
Criminal Background Checks
In addition to financial screening, Real Property Management Prestige performs criminal background checks to ensure the safety of the neighborhood. Not only are you seeking to run a profitable business, it is also your responsibility to ensure the safety of the community. It is difficult for law offenders to become home owners, so the likelihood of several of your applicants being repeat criminal offenders is fairly high. Criminal checks no longer take weeks to process and are well worth the effort. Other registered lists such as terrorist activities and sex offender lists can also be checked.
Real Property Management Prestige can help you screen your prospective tenants to find a lasting tenant for your rental business, Learn more.