Best Questions to Ask a Tenant on a Phone Interview

Posted by & filed under Tenant Screening.

We’ve written several posts over the years detailing the best questions to ask prospective tenants to ensure you’re getting the best fit for your property. You know to ask why they’re moving, who’ll be living on the property, whether they have pets, where they work, and when they’d like to move. You know not to… Read more »

Preventing Bad Tenants with Due Diligence

Posted by & filed under Tenant Screening.

In this blog, we’ve gone over a variety of ways to avoid bad tenants, between performing screenings and refining your application process. Even so, the point is really never belabored. No matter how experienced you are, there’s always a risk of ending up with a tenant who mistreats your property or causes problems with your… Read more »

Best Practices for Screening Tenants

Posted by & filed under Credit Score, Tenant Screening.

We all know that one of the best ways to protect your investment is to carefully screen tenants before choosing who you’ll rent your property to. Trouble is, not every landlord or property manager knows how to do this effectively. Asking for a credit report is easy enough, but what exactly should you look for… Read more »

Can Landlords Require Credit Reports?

Posted by & filed under Credit Score, Tenant Screening.

There are many regulations that landlords must abide by, such as not discriminating by race, gender, or disability. Because many of these stipulations are required by law, it makes sense that some might wonder if it’s legal or ethical to require credit reports or specific credit scores from prospective tenants. This is an excellent question… Read more »

Credit Check: Deciphering FICO vs Vantage Scores

Posted by & filed under Credit Score, Tenant Screening.

As a landlord and business owner, you’ve likely become intimately acquainted with credit checks, credit scores and credit bureaus. That means you’re probably aware that the bureaus designed and released their own proprietary scoring model called the Vantage Score. While most lenders and property owners are still using FICO scores to determine an individual’s credit,… Read more »

Housing Bubbles and the National Vacancy Rate

Posted by & filed under Housing, Tenant Screening.

As we’re sure you’ve noticed, we’re currently going through a confusing period for housing, the economy, and business in general. Many economists are predicting that housing bubbles will burst in the near future, which means we may see homes lose value. More importantly for renters and landlords, however, is the National Vacancy Rate and what… Read more »

Why You Should Screen All a Unit’s Occupants

Posted by & filed under Tenant Screening.

When you’re selecting tenants to occupy your rental units, it’s a given that you want to make sure you’re finding the best match for your property. That’s why many landlords choose to do extensive tenant screening for background checks, credit scores, eviction history, criminal history, and more. It’s important to know who’s going to be… Read more »

What Constitutes a Service Dog?

Posted by & filed under Section 8, Service Dogs, Tenant Screening.

As a landlord, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that you might receive an application from a renter who uses a service dog. Legally, it’s important for you to understand what a service dog is, what it does, and how it affects you under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Housing… Read more »

Why It’s Important to Check Tenant ID

Posted by & filed under Tenant Screening.

There are a number of tips that seem like a given when you’re in the landlord game: find tenants who will pay rent regularly and maintain your property, have an emergency repairman’s number available at all times, and make sure to check an applicant’s ID. Surprisingly, many of these things are easier said than done…. Read more »