| It is common, when looking for rental premises | | | | abound. Yet these are some of the issues a |
| nowadays, to be put through a tenant referencing | | | | proper tenant referencing can offer a way of |
| procedure. The way it usually works is that your | | | | reducing, even where it doesn't stop them |
| immediate past landlord is called and asked to | | | | entirely. |
| comment on you, as a tenant (whether you | | | | The security threats are not just about theft, of |
| happen to be an individual tenant looking for living | | | | course. They can take other dimensions. A certain |
| premises, or an organizational tenant, looking for | | | | potential tenant may not have thieving tendencies, |
| business premises). Sometimes, especially where | | | | but they could have a violent disposition which |
| the feedback doesn't seem to be particularly | | | | may in fact be what made them be evicted from |
| good, other previous landlords may be called up | | | | their previous premises. How much do you like |
| too, so that a full picture of you, as a tenant, can | | | | providing a place for that type of characters? As |
| be developed. The procedure works along the | | | | a tenant, yourself, how much do you like having |
| same lines as pre employment screening, which | | | | such characters as your neighbors? |
| most organizations have nowadays adopted as a | | | | Still to do with the security issue, it is also |
| standard part of their recruitment drills: where | | | | worthwhile keeping it in mind that there have |
| past employment records, criminal records and | | | | been cases where landlords end up being |
| even credit reports are checked. | | | | prosecuted as accomplices in cases to do with |
| Most people who are put through that tenant | | | | their previous tenants' activities. In terrorism |
| referencing procedure feel unfairly treated. Even | | | | prone countries, for instance, we have heard of |
| those who see some utility in the process feel | | | | cases where former landlords are taken to court |
| that it is cumbersome and largely uncalled for. And | | | | for crimes like 'abetting terrorism' after strikes or |
| it is these sentiments that bring us to the | | | | attempted strikes - for the simple reason of |
| question as to whether tenant referencing is really | | | | having rented the culprits the premises from |
| necessary. | | | | which they organized and executed their evil plans. |
| One would say, in the face of emerging realities in | | | | Then there is the commercial dimension where |
| the world, tenant referencing (painful as it may | | | | tenant referencing can uncloak potential tenants |
| come across as being), is very necessary. | | | | who have a tendency to delay on their rent |
| For one, the landlords who engage in tenant | | | | payments, or tenants who have a tendency to |
| referencing argue that it is a process through | | | | simply abscond from their rent payments |
| which they can protect themselves from the | | | | altogether. Natural, these are the kinds of thing |
| headache that is dealing with tenants who are | | | | every rental real estate owner wants to avoid. |
| security threats. This sentiment cannot be taken | | | | Yet there may be no way through which to get |
| lightly. Cases where tenants have stolen from | | | | any credible glimpse into potential tenants' pasts, |
| their neighbors, or cases where tenants have | | | | other than through a well developed system for |
| orchestrated thefts against their neighbors, | | | | tenant referencing. |