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I have them complete my own application and I check employment and landlords. Sometimes very hard to get landlord references; however many apartment complexs are quite cooperative. But sometimes its hard to get employers to verify even with applicants' consent just because they often parcel out employee verifications to services that are hard to get cooperation from. So I always require applicants to provide last 2 pay stubs as well as copies of their drivers licenses. Then, once I feel a level of satisfaction that they are employed and they are who they say they are, I use transunion smart move. I am a registered landlord, and I invite my applicants to submit their info through the service, and I have my applicants pay. https://www.mysmartmove.com/SmartMov...dit-check.page
I use Rentprep. It's similar to the previous poster's background check service. I like to get to the brass tacks so I call everybody listed on the background check. I verify every address by calling the previous apartment complex. I call every employer listed.
As previously stated, sometimes it's difficult to verify employment. I've had luck getting past HR blockades by simply stating "This is Campfires, I need to speak to (insert boss's name)". A lot of times you can verify who the owner of a company is through Google. If it's a local employer (i.e., not PepsiCo), you can usually get the the boss. That's when I simply state that I'm a local landlord and that their employee has applied for my unit. I then immediately ask if they are a good employee. Then I shut up and listen. It's amazing what you can find out by listening.
I do not rent out anybody with an eviction. Many of these screening services do not do effective nationwide criminal and eviction checking. It's nearly impossible to be 100% certain as there isn't a single database for all the info.
Your best bet is to verify everything you can. My last tenant I picked up has turned out wonderful. I called a previous employer from almost 10 years prior. Can you believe the secretary of the school vividly remembered him? She said he was fantastic. I knew he had been let go from this job for cause and he informed me as to why (immigration issue). When I queried the secretary as to why he was fired, she said she couldn't tell me the reason. I asked if it was possibly a legal immigration status issue and she said that was "possible". (Public school system)
The times I've been burned is when I saw a fantastic applicant on paper but failed to do the serious research. It takes a few hours over a day or two to collate all of the data and verify it with the application. Any misrepresentations on the applicaction is reason for immediate dismissal. It's cheaper for me to keep a house empty than to have a bad tenant.
I managed 25 apartments for 8 years in Silicon Valley. The Nolo Press guide for CA was my bible. They have lots of books for other states, too, and also have one specific for screening tenants:
They're great books and the included contracts are fantastic. Simple language that tenants can understand. They were way better than the free ones we could have used from the apartment association. I just love all of the Nolo Press legal books. Written by lawyers but in easy to understand language.
I use Transunion Smart move although I may go elsewhere. Haven't picked anything yet
I now send a questionnaire before I even show the place or take anymore info. I simply tell people due to a large number of people who just won't qualify i send a questionnaire to stop the practice. This cuts out about 70% of the people as I can decline simply from that. I had too many instances where people lied and thought by meeting me they could lead their case or filled out the application went through with the whole process just to decline them when I pulled their credit.
Im not going to waste my time or their time and application fees just to decline them. It's pointless for both parties.
My biggest hurdle was getting verification of pay and employment.
I use Transunion Smart move although I may go elsewhere. Haven't picked anything yet
I now send a questionnaire before I even show the place or take anymore info. I simply tell people due to a large number of people who just won't qualify i send a questionnaire to stop the practice. This cuts out about 70% of the people as I can decline simply from that. I had too many instances where people lied and thought by meeting me they could lead their case or filled out the application went through with the whole process just to decline them when I pulled their credit.
Im not going to waste my time or their time and application fees just to decline them. It's pointless for both parties.
My biggest hurdle was getting verification of pay and employment.
^^that! I also prescreen before I make an appt for a viewing.
OP, you can go over to Mr Landlord and sign up for their credit reporting. They are good enough and don't have a huge annual fee. You just pay for what you use. I've used a service I liked better but it was several hundred dollars a year to belong and as i've cut the number of units, I can't justify the big membership fee any more.
In order to run credit reports, you have to have your office inspected for security. It doesn't matter which service you use, if you are going to run credit reports, you will have that inspection.
Verify employment and income and talk to current and prior landlord. You have to verify that you are talking to the real landlord. About a third of my applicants try to pass a buddy off as their landlord. Don't fall for that trick.
I did not have any inspection with Rentprep. They simply verified I was the owner of the property. I had my tenants social security numbers and ran the reports. Easy peasy.
OP, you can go over to Mr Landlord and sign up for their credit reporting. They are good enough and don't have a huge annual fee. You just pay for what you use. I've used a service I liked better but it was several hundred dollars a year to belong and as i've cut the number of units, I can't justify the big membership fee any more.
In order to run credit reports, you have to have your office inspected for security. It doesn't matter which service you use, if you are going to run credit reports, you will have that inspection.
Verify employment and income and talk to current and prior landlord. You have to verify that you are talking to the real landlord. About a third of my applicants try to pass a buddy off as their landlord. Don't fall for that trick.
I've had a few buddy is my landlord scenarios. I usually ask them to verify the address and the length of time they had the applicant as a customer and some other info that they would know if they were the LL.
When I get a huh we'll ..... yeah .... I'm not sure... I know I'm talking to their buddy
Same reason when I call for employment I call the front desk and ask for HR or the owner. Had a few coworker is my boss incidents
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