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I find it disturbing anyone would give any weight to a criminal check run with a name and DOB. That would make me appear to be a felon because I have a very common name and there is a criminal with my same DOB. This is a pain in the butt when people rely on shoddy background checks. Personally I wish landlords would fingerprint. Name based background checks are not good. Too much possibility of false pos. There are 15000 people with my name in this country and 35 in my small town. Whats your appeal process for false positives? Weird enough I had to prove I wasnt that guy to get an apartment but I work for a government agency where I have to pass an FBI background check and of course have no problem because its fingerprint based. I am almost afraid to move because it seems people rely on this unreliable method of checking
Reliable or not, it's about as good as it gets. Your name may be common in your town/country but your past addresses, personal info, DL and SS isn't shared by all those people. Sure there may be some instances of mistaken identity or crossed info but I bet it's not as common as you assume.
Either way the only way of checking is with the tools available to me.
Reliable or not, it's about as good as it gets. Your name may be common in your town/country but your past addresses, personal info, DL and SS isn't shared by all those people. Sure there may be some instances of mistaken identity or crossed info but I bet it's not as common as you assume.
Either way the only way of checking is with the tools available to me.
That is so true. I have a common name, which has caused problems a few times, (the other person had an overdue library book & one person with the same name & birthdate had green eyes & I have brown - new clerk at the driver license bureau, it took a supervisor to straighten it out) but your driver's license & social security number verify who you are.
There, hopefully, will be even more scrutiny with the terrorist actions throughout the world. Don't want to give up the information? Fine. I'm sure you can find something on the street.
If you don't want to be homeless, give the information.
I find it disturbing anyone would give any weight to a criminal check run with a name and DOB. That would make me appear to be a felon because I have a very common name and there is a criminal with my same DOB. This is a pain in the butt when people rely on shoddy background checks. Personally I wish landlords would fingerprint. Name based background checks are not good. Too much possibility of false pos. There are 15000 people with my name in this country and 35 in my small town. Whats your appeal process for false positives? Weird enough I had to prove I wasnt that guy to get an apartment but I work for a government agency where I have to pass an FBI background check and of course have no problem because its fingerprint based. I am almost afraid to move because it seems people rely on this unreliable method of checking
Not sure where you're getting the impression that criminal checks are run based solely on name and DOB. I run all of checks on http://www.myrental.com/ so I can only speak from personal experience, but they require your full name, address, and social security number (and I would assume pretty much any and every background check operates pretty similarly). Regardless of how many people share your name, there isn't anyone else with your address or SSN, which is why that level of personal information is required in the first place.
On this forum, I am known as an objector who doesn't like when too much private data flow around. Here is the situation.
Someone with good job, good credit, and decent amount of money to pay for a at least six months rent upfront.
Why on earth all (professional) landlords want my social sec. number and other things? Is there any way around background checks using too much private data? I was thinking giving the landlords contact to my former landlord and my boss (reputable company).
In my state I can't accept over 1-1/2 monthly rent as a deposit. I have no idea if your 6 months rent could be interpreted by the courts as a deposit.
Besides, I have no shortage of tenant applicants that are willing to go through the normal apply, credit check, sign lease, move in process.
I have no interest in pounding square pegs into round holes.
Annnnnnd... What happens to me when you destroy my house, disappear, and I discover you gave me false ID and I have no idea who the F you are or how to collect damages from you?
There are ways to do it without social security number. I can have my bank to write you sworn statement that I am good guy with them. I can log in into my internet banking, you can see all my statements and available credit line I have. If that is not enough I can offer pay upfront.
Criminal issue
Criminal check can be run using DOB, name and address (and sometimes only using DL number). There is also a thing called "security deposit" and insurance that landlords buy. That deposit, as the name suggests, is there to protect the landlord.
Conclusion, landlords do not need my SSN. I don't apply for any credit from you. Identity thefts are real and not all landlords are good guys. I wish there were more people refusing to give up their sensitive data, so that more landlord would have to reevaluate other means of obtaining background screening.
I busted out laughing reading this. Have the bank write a sworn statement that you are a good guy? bahahah!!! You really think someone will rent their home worth hundreds of thousands because someone said you are a good guy?
There is a reason they need your social security number. Its called a credit check. They want to see a history of payments on time. They dont care if you have $10 or $100,000 in your bank account. It means nothing. They need to see a credit report to see what kind of financial character you have. Someone with far less money than you with a sterling payment history will get an apartment. You wont. Who cares how much money is in your bank account, you might be a drug dealer.
I busted out laughing reading this. Have the bank write a sworn statement that you are a good guy? bahahah!!! You really think someone will rent their home worth hundreds of thousands because someone said you are a good guy?
Any bank I can imagine would never consider writing any such statement because of legal liability.
Quote:
Originally Posted by carnivalday
There is a reason they need your social security number. Its called a credit check. They want to see a history of payments on time. They dont care if you have $10 or $100,000 in your bank account. It means nothing. They need to see a credit report to see what kind of financial character you have. Someone with far less money than you with a sterling payment history will get an apartment. You wont. Who cares how much money is in your bank account, you might be a drug dealer.
What landlords want is a good credit score, clean credit report including debt load, no black marks on credit report, no criminal history, and evidence of employment, current salary, and demonstrated sufficient income to make it likely applicant can pay rent.
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