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I notice some ads for a room for rent ask you to submit to a background check. Don’t I have to give the person renting the room my social security number in order for them to run a background check on me ? How do I know they won’t steal my social and ruin my life ?
Don’t I have to give the person renting the room my social security number in order for them to run a background check on me ?
Probably. Though you can ask them to run it without your social security number.
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How do I know they won’t steal my social and ruin my life ?
Well, you don't. But I suppose you can ask for their social security numbers and run a background check on them.
Keep in mind, you'll be living in their home. You'll know where they live and you'll accumulate lots of information on them while you live there. I think it's unlikely that a homeowner would engage in identify theft.
Just make sure you aren't renting from somebody who doesn't own the house. Easy to check.
Probably. Though you can ask them to run it without your social security number.
Well, you don't. But I suppose you can ask for their social security numbers and run a background check on them.
Keep in mind, you'll be living in their home. You'll know where they live and you'll accumulate lots of information on them while you live there. I think it's unlikely that a homeowner would engage in identify theft.
Just make sure you aren't renting from somebody who doesn't own the house. Easy to check.
How do I check to see if the person I’m renting from owns that home ?
How do I check to see if the person I’m renting from owns that home ?
Go to the property appraisor's website for the town/city. Presuming there's a search feature, just plug in the address. These days it's rare for property ownership records to be unavailable online, but if they're not, you would have to ask for the record ... which would have to be provided to you because this type of information is open to the public.
Court records are also public, and if the locale has them online you can do a search for the homeowner's name. A variety of documents will come up like the recording of the deed for that property, any civil matters the homeowner has been involved in, etc..
Also , how do I know they won’t try to physically hurt me while living there ?
Ask the local police for a copy of any reports of violence or physical assault at the address in question. They might redact the names but you'll have a good idea if you'd be safe or not.
Probably. Though you can ask them to run it without your social security number.
Well, you don't. But I suppose you can ask for their social security numbers and run a background check on them.
Keep in mind, you'll be living in their home. You'll know where they live and you'll accumulate lots of information on them while you live there. I think it's unlikely that a homeowner would engage in identify theft.
Just make sure you aren't renting from somebody who doesn't own the house. Easy to check.
Of course, part of the concern is-- how careful will they be with your social security number and other personal information, to make sure *others* can't steal it? (I was flabbergasted once at a summer job when I noticed that they would take job applications-- they were hiring at the time-- and stick them in a wall pocket right next to the cash register... and just keep them there. Anyone could have grabbed them. Any of the other employees could have read them and mined information. They maybe {likely?} never would have known if any were missing. It made me realize that every time I gave info like social security number to someone, I had no idea how well they were going to secure it... whether they might just leave it lying around, dispose of it in an open trash bin, etc.)
The best way to avoid all your concerns is to NOT move into a situation you do not like.
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