| Credit checks for landlords are among the tools | | | | were seen as being rather too intrusive, and were |
| which are meant to give landlords a way of | | | | therefore typically only conducted in 'high profile |
| judging the financial responsibility of the people | | | | tenancy cases' like where the property in question |
| they rent their properties to, ideally before getting | | | | was one whose rents were significantly high - or |
| into lease agreements with such potential tenants. | | | | only where the landlord was essentially giving the |
| To understand the essence of credit checks for | | | | use of the property on credit - like where the |
| landlords, it is important to first appreciate the | | | | tenant was making no advance payments. |
| harm that a financially irresponsible tenant to could | | | | With time, credit checks for landlords have come |
| cause to their landlord. After all, most | | | | to find widespread acceptance - and indeed, |
| landlord-tenant agreements (also called leases) | | | | people looking for property to rent can expect to |
| tend to be structured in such a way that the | | | | have to pay charges for such credit checks for |
| tenant lives in the landlord's property for a given | | | | landlords before they can be allowed into the |
| duration of time and then pays later for the | | | | properties (since it is the tenant who, in most |
| service so rendered to them, which essentially | | | | cases, foots the bill for the credit check |
| means that the landlord is giving the tenant the | | | | conducted against them). |
| service of having them live in their property on | | | | Credit checks for landlords are typically included |
| credit; a fact which in turn gives the landlord a | | | | among the so called standard tenant screening |
| tangible interest in the knowing the credit history | | | | procedures, which nowadays also include a criminal |
| of their tenants. | | | | background check on tenants, with people who |
| But even in arrangements where the tenant first | | | | are unwilling to be put through all these checks |
| pays the landlord (beforehand) for the service | | | | being simply advised to 'seek accommodation |
| rendered to them by virtue of living in the | | | | elsewhere. |
| landlord's property, the landlord still has an interest | | | | Of course, the fact that most landlords are |
| in knowing the tenant's financial history, if only to | | | | nowadays conducting these credit checks for |
| avoid the often ugly situation where they later | | | | landlords goes only further to show the |
| find themselves having to evict tenants who are | | | | importance of maintaining a good credit history. |
| unable to continue paying their rent, as conducting | | | | Once upon a time, the only potential harm you |
| such evictions tends to be seen as a bad | | | | could get from a messed up credit report was |
| reflection on the landlords, portraying them as | | | | that of being denied loans and credit cards. But |
| 'heartless'. And it is the information to help avert | | | | today, we find ourselves in a situation where |
| these kinds of situations that credit checks for | | | | having a messed up credit history can actually |
| landlords provide. | | | | even mean being denied accommodation, thanks |
| In the earliest days, credit checks for landlords | | | | to measures like credit checks for landlords. |