Renting out your property is a great way to make extra money. Screening tenants is important because untrustworthy tenants that don’t pay rent or damage your property can cost much more than you bargained for. Here’s how to screen your prospective tenants to help ensure only the most trustworthy ones move in.

3 criteria for screening tenants:

1. Good Credit

A prospective tenant who has good credit pays their bills on time. Alternatively, a tenant with bad credit shows that they do not pay bills on time and are much more likely to default on their rent payments to you. There are numerous tenant screening tools available for landlords to check a tenant’s credit, and doing so could save you the time, hassle, and cost associated with a tenant who doesn’t pay the rent they owe you.

2. No Criminal History

Background checks are also a must before allowing any tenant to move into your property. For example, drug convictions on a criminal record may indicate that there’s a high likelihood that the tenant will use, sell, or manufacture drugs on your property. Don’t take that chance — screening tenants for a criminal history before you rent is a must.

3. Good Rental History

One of the most important things you can check before allowing a prospective tenant to rent your property is their previous rental history. Did they have good relationships with their landlords, or did they leave properties dirty or damaged when they moved out? Taking the time to call around to a tenant’s previous landlords can give you the information you need to decide whether you really want to rent your property to this person.

As with anything, there are always exceptions to the rules. If a bad credit score comes from medical bills from an accident or unforeseen illness, or a previous landlord truly wronged the tenant but is telling a different story, you might not want to let this information influence your decision to rent to a particular tenant as heavily.

Although there can be some costs associated with screening tenants backgrounds, the money you could potentially save by avoiding irresponsible or unreliable tenants more than makes up for it. Make these three critical things mandatory for pre-screening tenants and watch your rental business transform.

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.

Service animals are big these days, from pot bellied pigs to barnyard fowls to standard seeing-eye dogs, and this puts landlords in a quandary. Many property owners err on the side of caution and allow tenants with even questionable documentation to refer to certain pets as service animals in order to get around no-pet policies that many rentals have in place. However, property owners and managers do have some legal protections regarding service animals. For instance, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) only recognizes service animals as dogs that have been specially trained to perform services directly related to the disability experienced by the individual.

Furthermore, service animals must be under the control of the individual with the disability at all times, meaning that it must be either harnessed or under voice or hand signal control at all times. Sanitary provisions must be made by the tenant for the service dog to urinate and defecate in appropriate locations and for the waste to be cleaned up immediately. Landlords have the right to refuse to allow service dogs to remain on the property in the event they show aggression toward other tenants or visitors or become a nuisance through behaviors such as incessant barking. Emotional support animals do not qualify as service dogs. However, the ADA has a separate provision regarding miniature horses.

Landlords have the right to ask prospective tenants two specific questions regarding his or her service dog: what the animal has been trained to do and if the animal is required as a direct result of a disability. Property owners and managers may not ask specific questions about the person’s disability or ask for documentation regarding details of the dog’s training, and they also may not ask for a pet deposit for a service dog.

While these dogs provide legitimate assistance to those with disabilities, property owners sometimes encounter those who purchase false certifications online as well as buy orange vests designating the animal as a service animal. To complicate things further, state, county, and municipal laws concerning this matter vary dramatically and change as new laws are enacted. Landlords can make certain that they’re within all federal, state, and local guidelines concerning renting to those with service animals by having an attorney review their documents. Landlords should also use a professional tenant screening service with staff who is knowledgeable about current applicable laws.

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.

Being a landlord isn’t for everyone, but for those who are a successful landlord, it can be a very lucrative business. Here are six things every landlord should know and put into practice:

1. Provide a Quality Property

The quality of your tenants will likely correlate with the quality of your property. Keep your rental properties repaired and up to date in terms of cabinetry, flooring, paint and appliances.

2. Create Policies – And Enforce Them

A successful landlord does not run their businesses in a fly by night manner; the best landlords have established policies and property rules. Most importantly, they enforce them. Not doing so can cause tenants to not take you seriously and potentially disrespect (or damage) your property. Be sure to enact a late fee for late rent payments and enforce this policy as needed. Always have a move-in inspection report and a move-out inspection. Keep set, reasonable office hours for yourself and enforce those boundaries of your time with tenants.

3. A Successful Landlord Must Be Organized

Keeping things organized is another key to being a successful landlord. Use a filing cabinet to keep all relevant forms neatly alphabetized and organized. Maintain an up to date list of relevant phone numbers (tenants, repair personnel, vendors, etc.) as well as documents of all your procedures.

4. When it Makes Sense, Outsource

While you may be handy enough to take care of a number of basic repair types, at some point there will be cases where you are simply not fully qualified to handle them. Don’t “go where you don’t belong” in terms of your expertise, and don’t hesitate to outsource repair jobs to qualified professionals as needed.

5. Don’t Rent to Family or Friends

This is a tough one for some landlords, but it’s a trait of the most successful landlords. It’s simply too hard to retain professionalism and enforce your policies with people when you have a personal relationship with them.

6. Screen Every Tenant

Your tenants are your bread and butter, and they can make or break your enterprise. Looking into the past rental history, criminal record and credit history of potential tenants can yield valuable information about their character and help you to decide on the ideal candidates. Make use of a quality tenant screening service to assist you with this important step.

Many property owners attempt to be successful landlords, but not all of them are. Use these six tips to help you connect with the best prospective tenants and ensure a profitable and successful business going forward.

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.

Landlords have distinct responsibilities during the move-out inspection, but it actually starts when the tenant first moves in to the rental property. At this time, a move-in inspection should have taken place, complete with an inspection form that documents the condition that the rental property was in when the new tenants first move in. The lease should also state examples of billable damages the tenants could face if negligent.

Documentation is Key

Without documentation, the move-out inspection has nothing to be compared to. The move-in inspection is crucial to preserving the rights of both landlords and tenants. It should cover the current condition of the unit in writing as well as via time-stamped photos and a video walk-through if possible. The completed inspection form should be signed and dated by the tenant on the day of move-in.

Without this step, it is much more difficult for landlords to justify security deposit deductions, damage charges or added cleaning costs down the road. Armed with the move-in form and visual documentation, the landlord should then decide on a move-out inspection date and time. The tenant should be notified in writing, and it is then the responsibility of the tenant to confirm that they wish to be present for the move-out inspection. (Landlords are not required to work around the tenant’s schedule when setting up this date and time, although they can if they choose to.)

Tenants may also request a pre-move-out inspection so that they can have the opportunity to repair any issues that might otherwise be deducted from their security deposit. If the tenant requests it, this inspection must generally take place two weeks before the date of move-out, but specific state laws can vary.

Normal Wear and Tear vs. Billable Damage

A certain amount of wear on a rental unit is normal and not considered damage that can be deducted from the tenant’s security deposit. Minor scrapes, chips and scuffs as well as small holes or nails in the wall from hanging pictures are considered normal wear and tear and not billable damages.

Other examples of normal wear and tear include sun fading of window treatments, carpets or wall paint, small water stains in the kitchen or bathroom, and a moderate amount of dirt. Examples of billable damages would include cigarette burns, pet stains, large gouges in the wall, major plumbing problems, excessive grime, and missing fixtures.

While these assessments can in some cases be subjective, having a signed lease that clearly states examples of billable damages upon the tenant’s move-in can go a long way in preserving the landlord’s right to make deductions. Using a tenant screening service can also help landlords to connect with tenants that will treat their property with respect and leave it in good condition when they move out.

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.

While having tenants living in a property will inevitably lead to some normal wear and tear on the unit, some tenants can be negligent and cause major damage to the property. While using a professional tenant screening service can decrease the odds of renting to irresponsible tenants, accidents can still happen. There are specific ways damage caused by a tenant should be documented in order to substantiate deductions from the security deposit or to be prepared in the event of a court trial.

Many states require a move-in inspection form be given to the tenant at the beginning of the rental term. The tenant may use this to document any existing property defects or damage, but this step also benefits the landlord in giving them a basis for comparison when the tenant moves out. Here are three key steps for documenting tenant property damage:

1. Keep records. Landlords should keep an ongoing record of any damages or defects on each of their properties. The list can be updated as things are repaired or as new tenant property damage occurs.

2. Move-in photos and videos. Visual documentation of the interior and exterior should be taken of each unit before the move-in of every new tenant. Make sure photos and videos are time-stamped to verify when they were taken.

3. Move-out photos and videos. A second set of visual documentation should be taken when the unit is vacated. If the video option is used, it should ideally be one continuous video — not multiple segments. If instances of tenant property damage are observed, take a minimum of two (or more) still photos of each instance; for example, one from a short distance away, and one close-up.

Deductions from the Security Deposit for Tenant Property Damage

When it comes to substantiating additional costs to the tenant such as deductions from the security deposit or judgments in a court case, clear, indisputable evidence is key. While the above describes a bare minimum of documentation needed, landlords should keep in mind that these days, digital photos are all but free to take and easy to store on a computer.

The bottom line? It’s better to have more visual evidence than not enough, so consider taking at least twice the number of photos you think you would need to prove your case in any forum. You should also consider using a quality tenant screening service to help connect with the most responsible renters from the get-go.

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.