How to Rent a House to Foreign Renters
As a landlord, the Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for you to deny housing to a renter based on nationality. However, you can ask for documentation regarding how long foreign nationals can remain in the country if there is a concern about the length of the lease. To avoid legal problems, you cannot refuse to rent to a qualified foreign citizen just because that person is not a U.S. citizen. Otherwise, renting to a foreign citizen is similar to renting your house out to a U.S. citizen.
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Instructions
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Present the foreign renters with the same application as you do all other renters. You should also charge the same application fee as you do all other applicants. Legally, you cannot ask the foreign renters for any additional identification unless you ask all applicants for the same thing.
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Ask for a list of rental or credit references since the foreign renters are not likely to have a credit history in the United States. Also request a copy of identification from the renters, but it can only be the same type of identification you request from all renters. This means that you cannot request extra forms of identification just from foreign applicants.
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Make the international calls to check the rental references of the foreign renters. You can ask about any payment history problems as well as any complaints against the renters as tenants and any move-out problems. If your foreign renters have lived in the U.S. for a while, you may be able to call rental references within the U.S. as well. Additionally, you can legally run a criminal background check on the applicants, which will disclose any foreign criminal activity.
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Request a cash deposit from the foreign renters if you decide to rent to them. Since there is a lack of credit history in the U.S., you are within your rights as a landlord to request a large cash deposit. The amount can be anything you are comfortable with, such as rent for the first and last month of the rental agreement.
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