It’s understandable; landlords want to keep rental units full so that the cash keeps coming in. However, DIY tenant screening and taking shortcuts to turn around rental units quickly could come with a high cost. Doing so could in fact create more problems to deal with in the future if a professional tenant screening solution isn’t used.

The following are some of the ways a do-it-yourself approach or DIY tenant screening could be problematic and risky:

The Lack of a Standard Screening Procedure for All Tenants

If the same questions aren’t being asked of everyone using the same criteria for qualifying them, a landlord could be in violation of fair housing laws. It is crucial to treat every potential tenant the same way during the screening process. By using the same questions, landlords can more easily compare responses to discover who is the best fit for each particular unit.

Not Effectively Pre-Qualifying Potential Renters

If a lot of time is spent showing rental units to people who end up not qualified, this means these candidates aren’t being weeded out during the initial correspondence. Asking the right questions can help to ensure landlords find out early out who is qualified and who is not. Focused, targeted questions are key; however, bear in mind that tenants can still give answers that are not truthful. Pre-qualification is very important, but ultimately the use of professional screening is best to verify key answers.

With DIY Tenant Screening You May Be Asking Improper, Inappropriate or Illegal Questions

If a potential tenant asks if there is an elevator up to the second floor unit that is being rented, landlords must be careful about inquiring as to the reasons why. If the person has a disability, they may not be disqualified from renting purely for this reason. If children are heard playing in the background during an initial phone call, asking how many children the candidate has and disqualifying them on this basis could put a landlord in legal hot water. Even seemingly casual questions about cultural background, criminal history or financial past could be violating applicants’ rights.

A strong advantage of using a professional screening service is their awareness of the questions that cannot legally be asked during the screening process. With DIY tenant screening it is easy to make landlord mistakes and ask the wrong questions, especially if a standard, vetted screening process is not in place for all prospects.

Using a professional screening service can help take the guesswork out of tenant screening. While the DIY tenant screening approach may work for surface level matters, it’s always safer to partner with a professional who is experienced in tenant background screening.

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice and is governed by our Terms of Use. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites.

Safety should be a primary concern for landlords. From the security of everyone in the building to neighbors to the property itself, a safe environment is key to success and avoiding litigation.

The following are five of the top safety-related reasons to use professional tenant screening to check the background of every rental applicant:

1. Nationwide Scope

Screening locally and checking rental applicant references can provide some insights about a rental applicant’s history and character, but this will be far from comprehensive. A professional tenant screening service can find eviction records nationwide and locate relevant information from other states.

2. Deeper, More Indepth Searches

One of the most dangerous possibilities in a rental applicant is a criminal background. Past behavior often determines future behavior, and knowing about the existence of a violent criminal record is crucial to making intelligent decisions about who becomes a tenant. Tenant screening offers advanced searches that can locate more details about a rental applicant’s past as well as their eviction history.

3. Identifying and Avoiding Sex Offenders

Professional tenant screening can also assist with finding out if a rental applicant is a sex offender. This information can be more difficult to locate on a DIY basis, but can be more efficiently determined through the use of a professional service.

4. More Responsible Renters

It is very difficult to find the perfect tenant, but professional tenant screening can help landlords to screen for the most reliable and responsible renters to take on as tenants. Persons with a good character are more likely to live responsibly and care for the property in which they live. A safe property creates a positive atmosphere and a more desirable living situation. This is extremely important in keeping long-term tenants or finding additional rental applicants for the property.

5. Avoiding Accidents, Altercations and Litigation

Choosing tenants irresponsibly can lead to conflicts with other tenants and neighbors as well as property damage. In a worst-case scenario, those affected could suffer personal injury and decide to sue the landlord for negligence and failing to screen appropriately. Professional tenant screening can help landlords to make smart, responsible decisions in compliance with state laws about which rental applicant gets to live there.

Safety is paramount in providing a secure, healthy and positive atmosphere for current and future renters. These five reasons demonstrate the value and importance of using a professional tenant screening service when selecting rental applicants as new tenants.

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice and is governed by our Terms of Use. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites.

Renting out a property requires extending a certain degree of trust in the renter; when renters allow landlords to perform resident background checks it helps to instill trust. The ideal tenant will respect the property and abide by the rules and guidelines set forth by the landlord. A less than ideal tenant can become a nightmare on many levels.

Here are five of the top reasons landlords should always perform resident background checks and tenant screening:

1. Increase the Odds of Timely Rent Payments

First and foremost, renting property is a business. Professional tenant screening that includes a credit check can help to paint a clear picture of the applicant’s financial history. Verifying that a potential tenant has a good credit score offers evidence that they will likely be a reliable renter in terms of paying the rent on time going forward. A credit check combined with verifying income can assist with choosing the ideal tenant.

2. Lower the Risk of Property Damage

Resident background checks along with tenant screening can reveal quite a bit about a person’s character. Someone with a criminal background is far more likely to be careless, neglecting and disrespectful of the property they rent. Screening applicants ahead of time can help landlords to avoid renting to the persons most likely to cause tenant property damage.

3. Keep All Tenants Safer

A tenant with a violent past or a criminal record can put all other renters at risk. Resident background checks can show if a potential tenant has had violent criminal behavior in their past, allowing the landlord to avoid renting to someone who might pose a risk to everyone else living in the property.

4. Avoid the Need to Evict

The worst-case scenario and outcome for a landlord-tenant relationship is an eviction. It is a final straw that no landlord wants to go through, but it can unfortunately be necessary in some cases. Resident background checks and tenant screening can assist in choosing tenants least likely to lead to this outcome.

5. Reduce Stress

Lastly, not having to worry about problem tenants can go a long way in lowering a landlord’s stress levels. While financial motives are compelling enough, a less-stressed, higher quality of life is another top reason for performing tenant screening.

Renting property is not without its risks; however, with proper screening, the likelihood of connecting with quality tenants is much higher. Landlords should strongly consider these top five reasons for screening all potential tenants.

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice and is governed by our Terms of Use. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites.

A landlord is first and foremost a business owner, and once units are rented, a nice stream of income can flow in. Because of this, tenant vacancies are one of the main impediments landlords strive to avoid.

That said, renting to “just anybody” to fill the void isn’t a good option either; doing so could open the door to a host of problems that result in lost income, lost time and a lot of unwanted stress.

Here are 6 ways to fill tenant vacancies by maximizing the odds of attracting and keeping high quality tenants:

1. Create Professional Stock Photographs

Photos of a property are often what draws people to inquire about it, so landlords should take steps to ensure they have a batch of high-quality photographs for each property. Photos should show the unit clean, empty, well-lit and at the best possible angles so that renters can envision themselves living there. Once these photos are taken, they can be easily reused any time the unit is vacated.

2. Use Well-Written Descriptions

Words matter, and how a rental unit is described can also contribute to drawing in high-quality renters. Time should be taken to craft an informative and appealing description that, along with the photos, allows the reader to envision themselves enjoying life in the unit. A descriptive paragraph followed by an easy-to-read bulleted list of the property (and neighborhood) features can be extremely effective.

3. Add an Incentive

If the rental market is at a competitive time, then tenant vacancies are going to be more difficult to fill. Offering a financial incentive can be very attractive to potential renters. Offers like “$100 off first month’s rent” or “free high-speed internet” in the headline will almost always get attention.

4. Spread the Word

There are a number of free ways to list a property, and a successful landlord will take advantage of them. Internet sources like CraigsList.com and Zillow.com as well as social media venues like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ can all help with marketing your tenant vacancies. Local newspapers, real estate offices, rental agencies and management companies will promote rentals for a fee.

5. Start Marketing Immediately

Ideally, tenants will give a 60 or 30-day notice before vacating. Using this window of time to the fullest maximizes the odds that a quality renter will be lined up to move in right away, avoiding the need for a tenant vacancy. Current tenants should be advised ahead of time that the property will be shown to prospective new tenants during this period. Written notice may be required; landlords should check their state’s laws on this matter before showing the property.

6. Use Tenant Screening

Lastly, landlords should screen interested applicants using a professional tenant screening service. This is one of the best ways to help ensure that a quality, trustworthy renter is ultimately chosen.

Renting property is a business, and tenant vacancies put a damper on cash flow. Landlords can use these six effective strategies to connect with quality tenants that pay rent reliably and treat their property with respect.

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice and is governed by our Terms of Use. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites.

Becoming a landlord is a dream come true for many Americans. It’s a means of investing in the future and creating a business that can generate cash flow for a lifetime. However, that flow of cash can get crimped very quickly if tenant’s rental payments are consistently late.

The following tips can help to make tenants turn in rental payments on time:

1. Use Tenant Screening

Past behavior is the best predictor of future actions, and screening tenants can help to determine if an applicant has a good track record of making rental payments on time. Past evictions or a poor credit rating due to late or missed payments are definitely red flags, and these applicants should be avoided.

2. Late Fees

Another highly effective measure for motivating renters to make payments on time is by enacting and enforcing a late fee policy. Again, enforcement is key; being lenient will only send a message that it’s fine to pay rent late, and the tenant will not take deadlines or other policies seriously. Landlords should check the laws and limits for rental late fees in their state.

3. Automatic Payments

Having tenants sign on with an automatic electronic payment system can ensure the rent money will be withdrawn from their account on the first of the month. While it is still the tenant’s responsibility to have the funds in the account at this time, the knowledge of the automatic withdrawal will serve as a motivator for them to be ready with the rent payment on the first of the month.

4. Incentives For Early Tenant Rental Payments

Consider offering a small discount or prize for tenants who pay their rent at least three days ahead of time. This will act as a positive incentive for early payment, and even if they don’t achieve it every month, on-time payment will be more likely going forward.

Owning and renting out property can have its ups and downs, but being paid on time is primary in each landlord’s business goals. Without the cash flow of on-time rental payments, it can be very challenging to succeed. From tenant screening to cash incentives, landlords can make use of these four tips to avoid problem tenants who don’t pay their rent and help ensure the rent is paid on time consistently.

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice and is governed by our Terms of Use. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites.