Landlord Pelicans: how do you do background checks...
 

..to screen tenants. I have a potential renter and have never done one.

Any good online service?

Do a quick search for tenant screening sevices. I use one local to me.

Just having the application and screening fee is a good screening tool. Potential renters do not want to pay a fee to be told "No", so just handing them the application and telling them it must be filled out completly is enough to have them take it with them, promising to bring it back later. If you never hear from them again, you win! Already eliminated a problem tenant!

This is an absolute necessity for any rental property.


And always remember:

There are two types of renters- Those that bring stories, and those that bring a checkbook. You want the latter.

This trick works for me too. If you are not too keen on someone you can't say "Piss off you look like a druggie - no free housing here". as it's against the law to disciminate. But you can say "I'm pleased you like the place, I'm advertising it for three weeks and will choose the most suitable tenant, so come back in a week or two with rent references, sign this to give me permission to phone your employer for a reference, and bring proof of income such as bank statements". This gets rid of a few more.

Background Checks | Employment Verification |Choice Screening

Can do it right from my laptop or ipad.

I use CitiCredit and a thorough application.

Thanks guys. Potential renter is desperate to move in, but I won't allow them without a background check.

Single mother with 23 yr old and teenage sons. Lady short sale'd her house and has to be out this weekend. She wanted a 6 mo contract but I said no. I don't have time to mess with short time renters. So she agreed to 12 months. She let out that she had to short sale because she couldn't afford $1020/mo mortgage. I'm charging $950 and she was asking for $900.

Part of me thinks she'll give me sad stories about late rent etc... But if the background check on her and her sons (I told them I would need BG checks on all, since they could be problems and mom can't do anything about) come back ok I'll probably rent to them.

Bad thing is I'm on a flight at 9:40 am tomorrow and won't be back for a week. So they'll have to sign the lease pending BG check which I run tomorrow night or Tuesday.

With their short time line to move in, and my request for a BG check (which they didn't have a problem with) I can't see to many issue expect for maybe late rent.

I was looking at this site:

Tenant Screening | Tenant Credit Check | E-Renter

She is losing the house at $1,020/month and wants to rent at $900-$950? She is losing a house over $70 to $120/month? I smell a dead beat. She will move in and stiff you and delay paying rent for a year. If you did month-to-month you could get her out sooner. TROUBLE. 23 y/o son living with her is another sign of bad ju-ju.

I don't want to sound horrible... But people who's lives are in a mess for one reason or another usually turn out to be bad tenants.

When I rent a place out I do it in a very orderly manner advertised for two or three weeks and a decission made at the end of the period. I even have the place empty for a while, while they give notice of leaving or wind up their previous tenancy.

I had those thoughts too, Hugh.

Yup, hate to be a hardass, but I think Hugh hit this one on the head...

She needs to find something cheaper, you don't need her as a tenant...

Run Forrest Run! any stories are bad.

After a a couple bad tenants you will have the force with you.
Never be in a big hurry for a new Tenant.

If they are in a big hurry they are running from some where. ;)

Also do a google search. Often times turns up things that you need to know about.

I did take two tenants with some stories. But they had perfect mortgage payment histories on two houses and they turned out to be great. I woudn't take that risk again, however. Stories are very bad. I just got lucky with these two.

^^^^^Golden Rule!

Please, NO!

I wouldn't touch that with a 10' ducktail. I wouldn't even think twice.

She's desperate and you're in a rush. Plant seeds in those conditions and you're apt to be disappointed.
Jurgen

I wish you well with this.

Before she got tossed from her existing house, she probably lived there rent free for a year. Maybe a whole lot longer. We've seen people here in the valley live rent free for up to two years...

Which means the $950 shouldn't be a big deal - right? The fact that it is, that she wants a short term commitment, and has adult children living with her are all red flags for me.

As far as 6 months versus 12 months - this is a tenant that I would not commit to, but if I had to, it would be with a month to month contract. Also, back ground checks on the 23 year old and at least a newspaper search of the teenagers. Don't know if U-18 can have background checks that are useful, but if their name has been in the newspaper - let's hope it was for their outstanding science project.

angela

I check tenants now! As MT930 said, after a couple of bad experiences its better to let the place sit than to rent to an iffy tenant.
I don't trust the background services any more. I hired an employee through a temp service that uses some background checking service to screen clients. They claim this guy had a clean record. After I suspected he was stealing from me I did my own Google search and found out he'd been arrested multiple times and was still under probation! If you use a service, you might spend a few minutes with Google. It's amazing what you can find.

Without the interest deduction from her mortgage, her take home pay goes way down. If she can't afford $1020 mortgage, she certainly can't afford $900 rent.

I do very little in the way of background checks.

I first screen with a basic application, email communications, telephone calls and google searches.

If it gets past that, I meet with them.

I look for several things, but one of the most impt is how aggressive their personality is. I look to see what kind of defendant they will be in an unlawful detainer action. Will they just move out if they can't pay the rent? Or will they fight, hire some public advocacy group to make crazy claims, etc.

The only time I've had issues, it's actually not been with the tenant, but with people that have moved in (unauthorized) with the tenant. That's hard to guard against. The person on the application may be perfect, on paper and in person. But when 6 months later a boyfriend and other loud, jobless deadbeats move in with her, there's a problem.

I've had my best luck by paying generous referral fees to existing long term tenants to get their friends, co-workers, etc. to fill vacancies. That's always been a slam dunk.