ATS has solid experience, longevity in a crowded field of start-ups

With the upswing in demand for background checks and the increasing need for criminal records checks and credit reports during the tenant application process, a whole new crop of tenant screening service companies has popped up in recent years. Their websites are filled with tempting promises of cheap reports in record time. But do you know anything about them? How much experience do they have? Which databases are they checking? How thorough, and really how cheap, is the service?

American Tenant Screen has been around since 1988. Long before many of today’s landlords were in the real estate business, ATS was establishing a reputation based on sound guiding principles and exceptional customer service. We pride ourselves on the thoroughness of our background checks: We pursue verifications to completion or until you tell us to stop...whichever comes first.

There are no hidden charges associated with our services; our clients always know the fees up front. And our customer service continues to be second to none. Our guarantee is that a phone will be answered by a live expert within 1 minute of your call during business hours. And we never charge for customer support.

Tenant screening may seem like a necessary formality to some, but it is a serious business. It’s your property, your reputation, and your money on the line if you select an unqualified tenant. Only trust the most experienced professionals to screen your tenants and give you the peace of mind you deserve. 

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Top 3 Tips for Finding Good Tenants

Are you a new landlord who isn’t sure how to select a “good” tenant? It’s not rocket science, but there is no set-in-stone formula that works for every prospective tenant and every property, every time. Here are a few tips for newbies out there:

1. Don’t wait until the perfect tenant comes to you; seek him out. Take an honest look at your rental property and surrounding area and decide what the ideal tenant looks like. Is this a three-bedroom house in a quaint neighborhood? Is it a one-bedroom flat in an up-and-coming section of the city? Think about the demographic who will most likely find your place appealing, and advertise where they are. The community bulletin board in the artsy coffee shop just down the block from your flat is probably the perfect place to hang a “For Rent” sign.
2. Credit, credit, credit. Running a credit report on a prospective tenant will tell you a lot more than how much debt they have. You’re not looking at the score, or the debt, as much as you’re looking for the overall history, to get a sense of whether the person is fiscally responsible. Car repossessions, credit card charge-offs, and previous evictions will show up on a credit check, so pay attention.
3. Double-check the dollars. Employment verification is key. Anyone can pluck a figure out of the air and tell you it’s their take-home pay. Verify the prospective tenant’s employment status, not just with a phone call but by requesting the most recent pay stub. A good rule of thumb is to decide the rent can’t be more than 30 or 35 percent of someone’s income. The last thing you want is a tenant who cares for the place but can’t pay the bills. 

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Evicted Tenants Aren’t Allowed On Any Part of Your Property

Eviction notices, proceedings and judgments can be tedious, stressful and time-consuming, which is why so many landlords use every means possible to avoid such a hassle. However, once the eviction judgment has been handed down, it is in place to protect you and your assets from the evicted tenant.

As such, if the evicted tenant is seen on your property — even in the common areas of your apartment complex, even if invited by other residents — that person is considered to be trespassing and you have every right to get law enforcement involved. Chances are evicted tenants return to their old apartments for one of two reasons: 1. To retrieve articles of clothing, furniture or other belongings left on the premises; and 2. To vandalize the property or simply to antagonize the landlord.

Let’s face it, they want revenge, either by taking what they consider to be theirs, or by doing something out of spite to the landlord or the landlord’s property. And they should not be allowed to get that revenge in any way, shape or form. Instead, a restraining order can be obtained to prevent the evicted tenant from returning to the apartment community. Don’t hesitate to file for one, thereby further protecting your assets.

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Ignoring Necessary Repairs Could Lead to Injury and Liability

A New Haven, CT, landlord was arrested recently after one of her tenants fell off a second-story porch when a railing broke. According to an Associated Press story, the landlord had failed to address 28 code violations that were brought to her attention during inspections at the three-family home she owned in 2009. The tenant was seriously injured in the fall.

Such a story is tragic and completely preventable. The failure to fix problems that were two years old amounts to negligence on the part of the landlord. A landlord’s duties go far beyond tenant screening for qualified renters and collecting monthly rental payments. A landlord is responsible for property maintenance so that it remains not just an aesthetically appealing home but a safe one as well. Necessary repairs should be made promptly upon hearing about anything that is broken or has not been properly maintained.

To make this an easy part of the job, the landlord should stay in frequent contact with the tenant, taking complaints seriously and asking frequently whether everything in the home is in good working condition. And to avoid liability and other legal trouble, the landlord should always promptly address any issues that arise, either through the tenant or through the various codes and other rules governing properties in the area.

No decent landlord wants to be on the wrong side of the law or cause harm to a tenant. Common sense and a good handyman on call can help landlords avoid such tragedy.

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Renting During a Recession Means Making Concessions

Every landlord hopes for a dream tenant to walk through the door, someone who’s friendly and clean with excellent credit, solid employment, good references and no criminal record. While these tenants do exist, it’s getting harder to find renters with spotless credit reports and an unblemished employment history. These last few years of layoffs and pay cuts have wreaked havoc on families across the country, and plenty of upstanding citizens, many who’ve owned their own home before, are facing hard times.

Landlords can’t become bleeding hearts, opening their doors to every victim of the recession. It’s still important to do a thorough tenant screening on applicants and think long and hard about the risks associated with allowing someone to sign a lease. But if the potential tenants you’ve been screening have lower credit scores than what you’re used to accepting, consider a few things:

1. Don’t make a foreclosure a deal breaker. The number of people who have a mortgage in foreclosure or mortgage payments significantly past due is rising. While those people couldn’t hang onto their homes, they more than likely are good prospects for renting because they’re used to caring for and maintaining a home, and they’re determined to improve their financial situation, which means they’ll pay their rent on time.
2. Reduce the security deposit but make it nonrefundable. Reducing the security deposit gives a break to those who will probably be good tenants but don’t have a lot of cash lying around to drop all at once. And making the security deposit non-refundable helps alleviate some of your risk in renting to someone with a lower credit rating.

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Try Partnering With Tenant to Make Eco-friendly Changes

Have your heard about how Internet giant Google is partnering with its landlord, McKinley Inc., to make several eco-friendly renovations to the building it leases in Ann Arbor, Mich.? According to reports, they’re also collaborating to build a huge outdoor rooftop deck, among other things. Representatives for McKinley, which is based in Ann Arbor, say they hope the partnership can stand as an example of what can be done between landlords and tenants to adopt renewable energy technology to enhance the workplace.

It’s an idea that makes sense from a business perspective and an environmental perspective, and it’s one that can be translated on a simpler level to smaller businesses and even residential buildings as well. If you’ve thought about making sustainable changes to your properties, why not talk to your tenant about them and see if splitting the cost is an option. The tenant has a right to refuse, of course, but if they see themselves staying put for the long term, they might jump at the chance to make a few changes that could substantially cut their utility bills and help the environment as well.

Even if tenants don’t go for such a partnership, it’s a good idea to make a list of what changes you could make to your property that would enhance its sustainability and save tenants — and you — money in the long run. Then methodically knock things off your list, starting with the least expensive and moving up toward the bigger projects. Eco-friendly changes will give your property great appeal to future tenants, and could make you eligible for special tax credits as well.

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