What is a tenant screening report, first of all? What does it include? There are a variety of answers to this question depending on which service (and which package within that service ) you choose to go with. Your report may include at least one or all of the following: criminal background check, eviction history,… Read more »
5 Facts Landlords Should Know About the Background Check
When you’re renting out your property to prospective tenants, you already know it’s in your best interest to have some sort of tenant screening done in order to hedge your bets and make sure you’re matching the right people with your homes or apartments. Most landlords and property managers rely on a pass/fail credit check… Read more »
Tenant Screening Services for Realtors
The housing market is forever in flux – sometimes it’s up, up, up, and other times it’s down, down, down. With each peak and valley comes unique challenges for realtors, whether they’re working with limited inventory in high periods or looking into rentals for their clients during the lows. There are several reasons why rentals… Read more »
All That Glitters: When Rental Applicants Try to Appear Affluent
When we go about our daily lives, we want to assume that everyone is exactly who they say they are and they aren’t trying to trick or exploit us to get what they want. In reality, landlords and property managers are running a business and housing is in high demand. It’s inevitable that tenant applicants… Read more »
7 Maintenance Issues Tenants Are Responsible For
Owning an apartment comes with its own list of responsibilities that as a landlord you are responsible for. But sometimes, it can be confusing what maintenance issues you are required to take care of and which ones are the responsibility of your tenant. To clear up any confusion you may be having, here are 7… Read more »
Are Your Rental Applicants Being Honest with You?
Here’s one more reason why tenant screening is such an important step in your rental application process: it helps catch potential lies before you get stuck in a contract with someone who fudged facts. As a general rule, it’s nice to give people the benefit of the doubt and hope that they’re being honest with… Read more »
Allowing Pets and Service Animals in Your Rental
Every now and again, we come across the question of whether or not it’s advisable to allow pets in your rental units. The reality of this question is that there’s no “right” answer – there are reasons to allow pets, and reasons not to allow them. It’s entirely up to the landlord or property manager… Read more »
Your Rental Applicants Are Your Business Partners
As a new landlord, you’re likely learning all the ropes you’ll need to begin a successful rental business. If there’s any straightforward advice we can give to people who are just starting out, it’s exactly that: make sure you’re running your business as a business. When you’re in a people-centric job like renting out property… Read more »
Rental Applicant Red Flag: Oversharing and Setting the Stage
Have you ever had a rental applicant who overshared with you right off the bat? Maybe they wanted to tell you a story about how unreasonable their last landlord was or about that time they got caught up in something that definitely wasn’t their fault. You might hear about a “crazy” ex-partner or a misunderstanding… Read more »
Managing Rental Property By Owner: The Advantages
If you own rental units, whether it’s one single family home or a portfolio of apartment complexes, one question you’ll inevitably face: to manage or to outsource. Is it worth the time and effort to manage your rental property? Or is hiring a property management company a better choice? There are distinct advantages to managing… Read more »