We have become a very transient society, never sitting still for long. Sure, there are still people who are born, reared and live their whole lives in the same small town. But the majority of us move from city to city, state to state, throughout our lives. Because of all this movement, those in property management often needs an atlas to decipher a prospective tenant’s rental application. Previous addresses and employers are often listed in multiple towns and states, and even a tenant’s personal references might not be in the area, or even in the state, where the rental property is located.
None of this is out of the ordinary or suggests that a person won’t make a good tenant, but it does raise the importance of a thorough tenant screening. Doing an in-depth background check on every prospective tenant will give you access to previous eviction notices and criminal records. Tenant screening also includes national searches in criminal sex offender databases that will give you peace of mind as well.
Gone are the days when you’d recognize a prospective tenant’s name or face, when you’d know their aunt or grandmother or boss. These days you are far more likely to have a complete stranger vying to live in your investment property. So do your homework and get to “know” them — thoroughly and promptly — before you have them sign a rental agreement.
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