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Tenant Screening
Tens of thousands of individuals and organizations are involved in the leasing of rental property in the United States. Some of these organizations are substantial in size, with thousands of units in their rental portfolio. Other rental property is leased by individuals who have purchased small properties for investment purposes.
What these housing providers have in common is that their property or properties represent a substantial commitment of financial resources. The difference is only in the degree of the investment.
It only takes a short time for a resident to turn an otherwise attractive, well-maintained, highly marketable unit into an uninhabitable disaster. When a resident doesn't pay rent for a month or two, the property Owner (commonly referred to as the "landlord") experiences a financial loss. If the resident commits a crime, is involved in the use, sale and distribution of narcotics, or harasses neighbors and/or other residents, the Owner may be further liable. Insurance premiums may increase and the reputation of the Owner and the property may suffer.
It is always surprising, considering the financial investment involved, most rental housing providers don't have a thorough, investigation-oriented screening process. It is equally surprising that these same individuals complain continually about damage, vandalism, and nonpayment of rent (and accompanying increases in insurance premiums and legal fees). The fact is that a proactive investigation prior to entering into a lease would likely have identified potential or actual problems or concerns.
There are rental organizations which do "bare bones" methods of screening, such as a basic credit background profile and perhaps even a criminal background check with local police agencies. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, and it is absolutely one hundred percent better than doing no background checks at all.
With rental housing at a premium in the United States and litigation on the rise, rental housing providers owe it to themselves and the integrity of their investments to undertake a comprehensive background investigations program for their prospective residents, employees and subcontractors.
Full Tenant Screening Investigations include:
Credit check
Civil and Criminal Records check
Marriage records
Driving History
County and state license records
Real Estate records
Property tax rolls
Bankruptcy History
UCC fillings
Tax liens
Judgments
Traffic violations
Auto tag registration
Boat registration
FAA Documentation
Hunting and fishing license
Assumed names
Business license
Occupational license
Date of birth
Social security number
Driver license
Full name
Other Known Names
Prior Address history
A background check on a prospective employee or subcontractor would also include information concerning whether the employee or subcontractor has been a defendant in a civil rights action (i.e., Fair Housing discrimination, ADA discrimination, sexual harassment), and the outcome of such an action.
We are also able to do ADA and Fair Housing investigations on behalf of our client, with the focus on assisting in the identification of discriminatory conduct on the part of employees and subcontractors. Our investigation assists the housing provider in determining corrective and remedial action before a lawsuit occurs. Our commitment to civil rights means that we will not undertake any investigation that violates these regulations (such as selective investigations on minority or disabled applicants), or where the client's goal would be to discriminate.
Providing quality housing fulfills a basic, human need. Fulfilling those needs in an educated, informed and thorough manner is an essential component of real estate investments and management.
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