Do Landlords Really Check References? – Rental Awareness

Yes, landlords do check references. They do so to verify the information provided by the tenant and to make sure they are renting to a reliable and responsible person.

Checking references is a vital part of the tenant screening process and helps landlords avoid potential issues in the future. As a landlord, you want to be sure that the tenant you choose to rent your property to is trustworthy, reliable and responsible.

One of the best ways to ensure this is by checking their references. This involves contacting previous landlords, employers and personal references to verify the information provided by the tenant. By doing this, a landlord can verify a tenant’s employment history, rental history, creditworthiness and overall reliability.

While it may seem like a tedious process, checking references is an essential part of tenant screening that can save landlords from potential problems down the line.

Understanding The Importance Of Tenant Screening

Finding reliable tenants that will pay rent on time and maintain your property is a top priority for landlords.

To achieve this, it is vital to conduct extensive tenant screening. Tenant screening is the process of verifying a prospective tenant’s information and history, including income, credit score, rental history, and criminal background.

By conducting thorough screening, landlords can make informed decisions and protect their investment.

Why Landlords Screen Tenants

There are several reasons why landlords screen tenants before renting their property. Here are some of the main reasons:

• Tenant screening helps landlords find responsible tenants who will take care of their property and pay rent on time.
• By verifying a tenant’s income and employment history, landlords can ensure that the tenant will be able to afford the rent.
• Checking a tenant’s credit score provides insight into their financial stability, their ability to make payments on time, and their level of debt.
• Checking a tenant’s criminal history can help landlords avoid tenants with a history of violent crimes, property damage, or drug-related offenses.

The Benefits Of Tenant Screening

The benefits of tenant screening are numerous, and they can help landlords avoid many problems. Here are some benefits of tenant screening:

• Tenant screening helps landlords find reliable and trustworthy tenants who will take care of the property and pay rent on time.
• By checking a tenant’s credit score, landlords can avoid tenants who have a history of unpaid debts or bankruptcy.
• By verifying a tenant’s income and employment history, landlords can ensure that the tenant will be able to afford the rent and pay it on time.
• Checking a tenant’s criminal history helps landlords avoid tenants with a history of criminal behavior or who may pose a threat to other tenants.

The Risks Of Not Screening Tenants

Landlords who fail to screen tenants are exposing themselves to several risks. Here are some of the risks associated with not screening tenants:

• Landlords may end up with tenants who damage the property and refuse to pay for repairs or rent.
• Landlords may end up with tenants who fail to pay rent on time or who don’t pay at all.
• Landlords may end up with tenants who have a history of criminal behavior, including violent and drug-related crimes.
• Landlords may face legal action if they don’t follow fair housing laws and end up discriminating against tenants based on their race, gender, or other protected categories.

Tenant screening is a critical process that can help landlords find reliable tenants, avoid potential problems, and protect their investment. By understanding the importance of tenant screening, landlords can make informed decisions and ensure the success of their rental business.

What Goes Into Tenant Screening

Pre-Screening Tenants

Before landlords start the tenant screening process, they can conduct a pre-screening process. This stage helps in narrowing down the potential tenant pool. Pre-screening often involves checking the tenants’ initial documents, such as rental applications, credit score reports, and references.

Here are some key things to bear in mind during pre-screening:

• Gather the tenant’s rental application, including all the required information like personal identification, employment information, rental history, and income details.
• Check the credit score report of the tenant to ensure that they do not have any outstanding debts or a history of delayed payments.
• Verify the references provided by the tenant to get an idea of their background and trustworthiness.

Screening Criteria

Once the pre-screening stage is complete, it’s time to start the screening process. Landlords use a set of criteria to find the best-fit tenant for the property. Here are the most common criteria that landlords use:

• Income: Ensure that the tenant has a stable income source and that the rent amount is affordable to them.
• Rental history: Check if the tenant has a positive rental history, such as no evictions or unpaid rent, and if they left the previous rental property in good condition.
• Credit score: Consider the tenant’s credit score and debt-history to ensure financial integrity.
• Background check: Screen tenants for a criminal record or any negative history that may impact the rental agreement.
• Other factors: Other factors that could impact the tenant’s suitability include their job stability, likelihood of staying in the property for the long-term, and compatibility with the neighbors and community.

Verifying Information

The next step involves verifying the information provided by the tenant. During the screening process, landlords must ensure that they’re verifying all the information provided by the tenants. Here are some key checks to carry out:

• Employment: Contact the tenant’s employer to verify their employment status and salary.
• Rental history: Verify the tenant’s rental history by contacting their previous landlords. Refer to references and check for the timeliness of rental payments, ability to take care of a property, etc.
• References: Verify the tenant’s references provided, e.g. Contacting personal acquaintances and employers listed in their application to confirm the tenant’s information and character.
• Financial records: Confirm the tenant’s financial records, such as bank statements and tax returns, to verify information provided such as income and self-employment status.

Running Background Checks

The final stage is running background checks on the tenant. It’s important to dig into the tenant’s background to ensure they have a good renting history and don’t present a danger to the property or other tenants. Here are some checks that landlords carry out:

• Criminal record: Run a criminal background check to ensure that the tenant doesn’t have a criminal record that can potentially pose a threat to the landlord or other tenants.
• Sex offender register: Ensure that the tenant isn’t on the sex offender registry in the state.
• Terror watchlist: Ensure that the tenant isn’t on terror watchlists.
• Other background checks: There may be other background checks that landlords may wish to perform, such as credit report checks or social media presence.

Overall, landlords do indeed check references during the screening process to ensure that the tenant is trustworthy and reliable. By following the above screening criteria and verification steps, landlords can find suitable tenants for their rental properties.

Debunking Common Myths About Tenant Screening

Myths About Tenant Screening: Debunking Common Misconceptions

As a tenant, you might feel a bit nervous about the landlord checking your background. It’s natural to wonder what exactly it is they’re looking for, and if there’s anything you can do to improve your chances.

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding tenant screening that can make the process seem intimidating.

Here, we debunk some of the most common misconceptions.

Myth: Landlords Only Check Credit Scores

This is one of the most widely held beliefs about tenant screening, but it’s not entirely true. While credit scores do play a critical role in the screening process, they are not the only factor. Here are a few other things landlords typically look for:

• Rental history: Landlords want to know if you’ve been a reliable tenant in the past. They may reach out to your former landlords to get a sense of how you acted as a tenant.
• Income verification: Landlords typically assess your income to see if you can afford rent, and if you are consistently employed.
• Criminal background check: Landlords want tenants who are trustworthy and won’t put their property or other tenants at risk. A criminal background check is often part of the tenant screening process.

Myth: References Are Never Checked

Another myth about tenant screening is that references are never checked. This is not true, either. References can be valuable for landlords to get a better sense of who you are as a tenant, especially if you don’t have a lot of rental history.

They want to know who they are renting their property to, and references can help build trust.

Myth: Tenant Screening Is Unnecessary

Some tenants might think that tenant screening is unnecessary, especially if they have a good credit score and payment history from their previous landlords. However, screening tenants is essential for a number of reasons. It can help landlords weed out tenants who might not take care of the property or who have a criminal history.

In addition, a screening process can help landlords make their selection process more objective.

Overall, if you’re a good tenant with a solid rental history, credit score, and income, you shouldn’t be too worried about the screening process. It’s a standard procedure that helps ensure a good match between tenant and landlord.

Frequently Asked Questions Of Do Landlords Really Check References?

Conclusion

After careful consideration, it is clear that landlords do, in fact, check references. This is an important part of the rental screening process that helps landlords ensure they are selecting responsible tenants who will uphold the terms of their lease agreement.

Through checking references, landlords can better understand a potential tenant’s rental history, employment status, and overall character. It also allows landlords to verify the information provided by the applicant and ensure they are making an informed decision.

While it can be tempting for tenants to provide false or incomplete information, this can quickly lead to issues down the line.

Reference: https://rentprep.com/blog/tenant-screening-news/should-landlords-get-personal-references-from-rental-applicants