How to Select Tenants for a Boarding House

Boarding houses, which allow people to rent by the week or the month
without a lease, are often a last resort for the homeless, the desperate
and those without the money for an apartment deposit. To make sure
your boarding house is a success, pick your tenants with care.

Instructions

1. Look up your community's boarding house ordinances on the web or at city hall. Learn any restrictions on parking, the number of boarders allowed per bedroom and any other rules that you have to follow.

2. Learn what rights boarders have in your state. If you require boarders
   accept certain requirements, such as a curfew or random room searches, you have to be sure the law supports you and not them.

3. Run a credit check on prospective boarders. If someone has a habit of
   skipping out on debts, they might do it again. Also google their names and see if anything turns up.

4. Ask for references, including at least one of their previous landlords.
   Talk to whoever rented to them before and find out if the boarder was too
   loud, damaged the property, broke the law or caused other sorts of trouble.

5. Make sure that your prospective tenants have a job. Talk to their employer and confirm that he expects them to stay on the payroll.

Tips & Warnings

• Select, don't discriminate. Rejecting boarders based on such things as race or religion could lead to a lawsuit.