How to Screen a Renter
Screening a tenant before renting your apartment or house can improve your chances of finding someone who will take care of your property and pay rent on time. From the initial contact to the last reference, you should always keep in mind that you want a qualified person and not just the first person who called to rent your property. It is important you are present in making the decision as far as how a tenant is screened and what information was accurately verified. Understanding how to properly screen a tenant may save you from having to evict your tenant in the future.
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Instructions
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Ask questions to determine whether a person is qualified to rent the unit based upon her family composition and income before you invite her to view the property. If there is more people in the family than can comfortably occupy the unit, you should not go any further. In addition, if the rent is more than 35 percent of the family's monthly income, this may signal a red flag that they can not afford the rent.
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Pay attention to the mannerisms of the prospective tenant when he comes to view your property. The first impression could say a lot. If he is confrontational, nitpicking or exhibits irresponsibility, you should not rent to him.
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Have the prospective tenant complete a rental application. Ask the tenant to provide you with copies of paycheck stubs and names and phone numbers of past landlords. In addition, you may charge the tenant for a credit check. Checking a prospective tenant's credit is essential, because it will provide you with a better look at the tenant's ability to pay rent.
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Contact the prospective tenant's place of employment and ask to speak with Human Resources or her supervisor. Confirm the number of hours your prospective tenant works and the hourly rate or rate of pay.
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Contact any previous landlords and ask about their experiences dealing with the tenant. Ask if the tenant received his security deposit back and if he paid rent on time.
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Contact one of the three major credit bureaus to perform a credit check on your prospective tenant. Provide the agency with a waiver signed by you and the prospective tenant authorizing you to check her credit and then pay the fee to obtain the report. Look through the report for any delinquencies and public notices such as bankruptcy and judgments. If everything looks positive, you can now rent the unit to the tenant.
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Tips & Warnings
If you can not complete the screening on your own, hire a tenant screening company to complete the paperwork for you. (See Resources)
References
Resources
- Photo Credit house image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
