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4 Keys to a Good Tenant Screening Process

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Whether a home or commercial space, if you’re renting property to tenants, there are several keys to an excellent screening process. With an excellent screening process in place, you won’t have to worry about getting tenants who will bring you nothing but stress and headaches. You won’t have to worry about late payments or damage to your property. Here’s what to look for when you design and implement a screening process.

Establish Pre-qualifications

Determine the minimum requirements that you want for a tenant. That is an essential part of the tenant application screening process. A list of qualifications makes it easier for you to filter out applications. You have a clear idea of which tenants fit, which ones pass those qualifications with flying colors, and which ones are—while not outright rejects—have a few issues that could turn into problems later. With the last one, you can ask them about those iffy issues during the interview. Covering those topics will give you an excellent sense of whether they’re a good fit for your property or not. The basic qualifications should focus on whether the tenant has three things: the financial resources to pay the rent on time, a steady employment, and a good history as a tenant.  

Application Process

How will the application process proceed? Many landlords and property managers already use tenant screening services. It’s faster and easier to use. It’s also convenient because they can take care of everything you need, so you can focus on the interview instead of setting up all the other things that need to be in place for the screening process. And by using tenant screening services, you formalize the entire experience. You’ll have documents that authenticate every step of the way. With the help of a tenant screening firm, you’ll know the information you need from your prospective tenants—finances, credit situation, reputation, and more. That will help you pick the right choice.

Background Checks

One of the reports that you’ll get from a tenant screening firm is the background check. It tells you if the tenant has any criminal history or records. Some landlords automatically cross a tenant off their list when they see that. But digging deeper into those records or criminal history can be an eye-opening experience, too. For instance, the criminal record might be for something else—like getting the neighbor’s dog that was being abused and left outside in the rain. That criminal record doesn’t have anything to do with the person as a tenant, so you won’t have to worry. You can let that slide. With more information, you can make wise decisions. You won’t have to cross off names from your list just because they have a criminal record. Learning more about those circumstances prevents you from taking off good tenants from your list.

Eviction History

Every landlord is different. That’s why it’s entirely possible for a tenant to have a bad history or record with a previous landlord. Reports from a tenant screening firm can help you get to the bottom of that, so you won’t turn away a prospective tenant before hearing all about what happened.

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