| Tenant screening can be very time consuming if | | | | to the person listed on the application as the |
| you do a thorough job of it, but it is well worth | | | | renter's supervisor, or the prospective renter |
| your time if it prevents you from having to evict | | | | himself. If that person really works there, the |
| your renters in the future. Do not misunderstand | | | | operator will patch you through. |
| me - most applicants I've encountered are honest | | | | Tenant Screening Tip 3 - Inspect Tenant's |
| and decent people, but sometimes you come | | | | Current Living Conditions: |
| across a "bad apple" that will end up costing you | | | | How can you tell if the applicants will maintain your |
| thousands and thousands of dollars. The steps | | | | property in a good condition? You send a friend |
| identified below help me identify potentially | | | | to inspect the interior of their current residence, |
| undesirable tenants during the tenant screening | | | | of course. |
| process, and eliminate them from the start. | | | | Have the friend knock on the door and ask for |
| Unless the prospective renters can give me a | | | | "John Doe". As the door is opened, your friend |
| really good explanation of the discrepancy on their | | | | can quickly assess the interior condition of the |
| application, I move on to the next application. | | | | property, which will give you a pretty good idea |
| Tenant Screening Tip 1 - Verify Address and | | | | of how well these tenants will maintain your |
| Landlord information: | | | | property once they move into it. Your friend will |
| Since I'm a licensed CA real estate Broker, I have | | | | be told that neither John, nor Mary lives there, |
| access to the on-line tax records via MLS. If you | | | | and that will be the end of it. |
| are not licensed, ask a realtor you know to check | | | | As far as the exterior goes, you can drive by the |
| the tax records for you. | | | | property yourself, or have your friend take some |
| · Check the prospective tenant's Driver's | | | | photos for you. |
| License for the current address (one of the | | | | Yes, doing this involves a little trickery, but |
| reasons I require copies of the driver's license) | | | | unfortunately some renters just don't take care |
| and compare it to the address on the application | | | | of the properties they lease. As a landlord, it can |
| · If the addresses on the driver's license | | | | end up costing you thousands of dollars to repair |
| and the application match, check to see who | | | | the damage, so sometimes it is necessary to |
| owns the property, and if the name on the tax | | | | take certain precautions, no matter how sneaky. |
| records matches the name of the landlord on the | | | | After all, it's you who's going to pay for all the |
| application · If you can find the landlord's | | | | repairs, so you have every right to do what it |
| phone number on the tax records, use that | | | | takes to minimize your expenses. |
| number to call the previous landlord(s) · If | | | | Tenant Screening Tip 4 - Always, Always, Always |
| the landlord's phone number is not listed in the tax | | | | Review the Credit Report: |
| records, use or the on-line white pages to find his | | | | The information I discover on the credit report |
| her phone number · If all you have is a | | | | can make or break the deal for me and my |
| phone number, or if you want to cross-check it, | | | | prospective tenants. I give credit reports about |
| use the phone number look-up service online | | | | 50% of the total weight in my decision making, |
| Tenant Screening Tip 2 - Confirm Employment | | | | regardless of how well everything else checks out. |
| Information: | | | | Sometimes there are judgments or evictions your |
| I usually require that copies of the last two | | | | prospective tenants did not tell you about. They |
| paychecks be submitted to me for several | | | | could have credit card payments amounting to |
| reasons: (1) To ensure that the prospective | | | | almost more than their total monthly income. Or, |
| tenants earn sufficient income to afford the rent; | | | | you might find out that even though the |
| (2) To be assured that the wages are garnishable | | | | prospective tenants have high earnings, they have |
| if the renters go into default; and (3) To be able | | | | never made one payment on time, and have a |
| to verify their employment prior to approving the | | | | large number of collection accounts on their |
| application. | | | | record. |
| I never call the employer's phone number listed on | | | | In general, I evaluate each credit report on a |
| the application, but rather do my own research. I | | | | case-by-base basis. I overlook certain conditions, |
| have run into cases where the prospective | | | | such as medical bill collection accounts, if it is |
| tenants put their relatives' name and phone | | | | obvious that the applicant had a medical problem |
| number on the application, and warn them to be | | | | and could not work for a period of time. If there |
| expecting an employment verification call. Instead, | | | | are other bills that were accruing during that time |
| I use the following process to verify tenant | | | | period, I might overlook those, as well. |
| employment status: | | | | One of the other things I might give renters |
| · Note the name of the employer, as | | | | some slack for is a foreclosure of a property |
| listed on the paycheck stubs · Google the | | | | purchased during the last peak (2005/2006). To |
| employer, or call 411 and get the employer's | | | | confirm that it was a purchase and not a |
| phone number · Call the number you | | | | refinance, I do access the tax records once again. |
| obtained from 411 and ask for the HR | | | | If the property was refinanced, as opposed to |
| department, then verify employment of the | | | | purchased, it tells me that the applicants are not |
| prospective tenant. HR usually will not disclose the | | | | handling their finances properly, and I most |
| salary, but will say "yeah" or "nay" regarding the | | | | probably will NOT approve their application. |
| salary if you give them a ball-park figure · | | | | Hopefully, these "hard-nosed" landlord's tenant |
| If the employer is one of the companies that | | | | screening tips will come in handy for some of |
| have automated employment verification system, | | | | you, and save you money in the long run. |
| call their main operator and ask to be connected | | | | |