| Tenant screening may well be much more | | | | hurry to place a tenant without verifying details. |
| important than having a watertightproperty rental | | | | An empty apartment for a month will cost less in |
| agreement in place. | | | | the long run than a non-payingtenant. |
| At the beginning of November a South African | | | | Tenant screening must be done in a detached and |
| landlord killed his two tenantsand then turned the | | | | clinical way. A landlord canset himself a checklist |
| gun on himself. The man and woman owed him | | | | by which to rate candidates and to justify his |
| three months'rent, which apparently put the | | | | choice oftenant. This will also help should an |
| landlord in serious financial difficulties. | | | | applicant accuse the landlord ofdiscrimination. |
| Laws which have been designed to protect | | | | Many ordinary people invest in property as part |
| tenants from unscrupulous slumlords,are now | | | | of a retirement plan. If therent is not being paid |
| being exploited by tenants who are in default. If a | | | | for a couple of months it obviously puts a strain |
| landlord wishes toevict a tenant who is in breach | | | | ontheir livelihoods. This strain obviously became |
| of a lease agreement, the proper legalprocedures | | | | enough to drive theabove-mentioned landlord to |
| have to be followed. This can become a lengthy | | | | drastic measures, which may have been avoided |
| process with sometenants knowing exactly how | | | | hadproper tenant screening been done. |
| to abuse the system. | | | | Landlords who do not have access to credit, |
| Maybe the law has become too one-sided in | | | | background or criminal references, should consider |
| protecting the renter's rights. Alandlord therefore | | | | employing professional companies for tenant |
| must rely on tenant screening as a very | | | | screening services. Their fees are negligible |
| important tool toprevent getting into a conflict | | | | compared to the losses that may be suffered |
| situation. | | | | due to non-payment of rent. |
| Landlords can do effective tenant screening if | | | | Real estate has always been an attractive |
| they follow a few simpleguidelines. From the | | | | investment option and there is no reason to shy |
| application form and telephone or personal | | | | away from it. People who consider this should |
| interview a lotof information about a prospective | | | | simply do their homework beforehand. Proper |
| tenant can be gathered. All this informationmust | | | | tenant screening, background and credit checks |
| be verified and not accepted at face value and | | | | and then a comprehensive rental agreement is |
| most importantly, thelandlord should not be in a | | | | crucial. |