Question for landlords/tenants

What do you require from your prospective tenants? Background check? Credit check? None?

If you are a tenant, did they ever run a credit check on you?

I just got a call from my current tenant that he is leaving by June 1st. I have a new prospective tenant but don't want to get stuck with a problem guy. I'd like to run some sort of background check/credit check, how do I go about that? Any websites?

Thanks.

Just tell him your running a background check and credit check. Get the proper forms for him to fill out and sign by searching google and print it out. When he fills it out get a copt of their license too. Perfectly fine and legal, property mgmt companies do it all the time

And dont be tentative about it just be matter of fact. Say this is what I need from you to lease my place to you and if they understand your trusting them with a very expensive investment of yours then it shouldnt be a problem

If dude raises a stink about it, dude is not worth it.

In reply to Slippery: Actually check references but do a bit of homework to verify that the references are legit. I was burned badly once by a couple that had excellent references (that were actually their friends cell phones). The reality was that he on parole and she had a drug issue. It is better to let the place stay empty until you find the right tenant rather than deal with a nightmare tenant. Be careful out there.

I use this place. I charge the prospective tenant a fee to cover the background check. If they walk away, your due diligence is done. Plus, if you have a problem, they are VERY helpful. Been a landlord for about 13 years and always had good tenants.

https://www.smart-landlord.net/

I'm in the business.

---Credit check

---Background check

---Employment verification (although you can't ask for a specific salary amount you can ask if it exceeds XXX per month or annually and if the prospect's employment is expected to continue for the duration of the lease)

---Previous landlord references (Keep in mind that a current landlord may give a glowing recommendation just to get rid of the person so if possible check with ones from farther back)

---If the prospective resident's credit is less than stellar get a lease guarantee from a creditworthy and financially responsible 3rd. party (usually a parent or other relative)

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

I am definitely doing a credit check and background check. He has been renting the house accross the street from mine, so I will probably check with a previous landlord.

What websites are you guys using for credit/background checks?

I will check smart-landlord to see how it works tonight.

Thanks again.

You can also call the local General Sessions Court(or whatever they call small claims court in your jurisdiction) and inquire about any recent cases(collections, landlord/tenant or criminal) for your prospective tenant. Most courts are able to look up this info quickly on computer. My local court could even print out a list of every case I had been involved in as atty since they went computer. YMMV

Slippery wrote: He has been renting the house accross the street from mine, so I will probably check with a previous landlord.

Is that a previous landlord, or a current landlord?

A current landlord has no incentive to tell the truth about a bad tenant in order to get rid of them.

I have only ever had to deal with this once, as a landlord. I requested all the info for me to run a credit check and references. The tenant wrote me a letter about how he got screwed in the recession and lost his house and business. It was amazingly detailed and after discussions with him and my wife, we left it at that. He has been awesome and I am happy he is still around.

If he is renting the house across the street, pop in with "paperwork" unannounced and just look through the door. That could be quite telling.

I've wondered about different strategies for filtering tenants while still providing cheap housing to people who need it. For example, small, simple, one bedroom apartments that are reasonably priced as to maximize the number of people in a rental property. Maybe an slightly higher or borderline unreasonable downpayment with assurances that aside from the place burning to the ground or someone pooping all over the apartment, they'd get their money back?

I've never rented out residential property but one guy I talked to had a good strategy - when a tenant would fill out the application, he would then say, let's go to your current place and check it out. A messy house is fine but piles of garbage and animal waste are not.

@PHeller: At least in Ohio, the amount of a deposit on a residential unit is regulated.

So what if they said something like "the deposit must be no more than the first month's rent."

Couldn't you just tell the tenant "First Months rent is usually $1500, but we're offering a special right now that its $500, but we still need $1500 security deposit and after that the rent drops down to $500."

SVreX wrote:

Slippery wrote: He has been renting the house accross the street from mine, so I will probably check with a previous landlord.

Is that a previous landlord, or a current landlord? A current landlord has no incentive to tell the truth about a bad tenant in order to get rid of them.

I would ask the previous one.

I like the idea of popping by his house, and since he currently rents the house accross the street from mine I can use the excuse that I was in the neighborhood.

Anyone have any websites they recommend to check their credit and background?