ATS Inc. = Best Background Check for Landlords

This year American Tenant Screen, or ATS Inc., celebrates our 25^th year in business as the best background check service provider on the web! We are proud that we've been around this long, and boast that we were the first tenant screening service provider with an internet presence in the late 1990’s.

ATS Inc.’s website  is extremely user-friendly because we offer reports for landlords 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year .We are also extremely proud of our rating A+ with the Better Business bureau.

http://www.alwaysscreen.com

In addition to tenant credit checks, we offer free lease forms, tons of landlord advice, and a several choices to help you get the most comprehensive renters background check. You can decide if you want your tenant screening to include eviction checks, sex offender reports and much more!

Thanks again for making us the best choice for new landlords, property managers, real estate investors and agents!!!

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Would you Invest in a Rental with a Pool?

There are many pros and cons to having rental property with a pool. While a pool can be an attractive amenity to many renters, an experienced landlord might also tell you they come with a big cost.

So, if you are real estate investor who is weighing to pros and cons of a property with a pool, here are some things to consider:

Rental properties with pools come with a cost

1.     Knowing the Rules There are federal, state, and local laws pertaining to pool safety , such as minimal fence height requirements and required inspections. It is your job to know the rules for your area and comply.

2.     Liability Even if you follow all of the proper safety precautions, you s

hould know that if someone is injured or drowns in your pool, it is likely a claim can be filed against you. Ultimately, the pool owner is responsible for the safety of those using it. You should make sure there is extra coverage to your homeowner’s insurance policy that specifically covers incidents related to the pool.

Also, you should also have specific pool safety rules added to your lease agreement, and review it with tenant signing.

3.     Maintenance Pool maintenance can be costly and time consuming. You have to make sure all of the chemicals are balanced properly and that the mechanical features of the pool are in working order.

Make sure you know beforehand what the maintenance will entail and how you plan to address it. Will you be checking the chlorine levels regularly? Do you have a trusted property manager or pool servicing company to use?  It’s important to have a plan in place before you invest and also set aside extra funds for the services.

A pool can bring added value to a home for the right renter, especially in warmer climates. It it’s important to make sure you know what you are getting into and have the diligence to deal with the responsibility if you plan to invest in a rental that comes equipped with one.

Visit ATS Inc's homepage to find out more about our tenant screening services!

How to Protect Your Vacant Property

If you are a landlord or real estate investor whose rental property is going to be sitting empty in-between tenants, it’s important that you take the necessary steps to protect your investment.

First, you must inform your insurance company, especially if the rental is going to be empty for 30 or more days.  Your current policy might only cover the home for up to a month without renters. In some cases, your provider might offer an endorsement, or change to the policy, that adds coverage in the event something happens to the property while no one is living there.

Secondly, an empty rental could also be subject to vandalism, invasion, or even theft.  In order to minimalize the risks of these unfortunate events, visit the property regularly to inspect for any signs illegal trespassing. If you have a trusted neighbor, ask them to keep an eye on things to make sure nothing suspicious is occurring. Keep blinds on the windows and install timed lights inside so the property doesn’t always appear to be empty every evening.

Lastly, be aware of the elements. A home without habitants could be at-risk for issues that could go undetected and cause major problem, such as a fire, flood, or weather damage. Make sure you adjust the thermostat accordingly to prevent pipes from freezing in the winter or mold from growing in hot, moist climates. 

Visit ATS Inc's homepage to find out more about our tenant screening services!

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Eviction Secrets Revealed!

You might think evictions only happen to tenants who are financially irresponsible or those who can’t afford rent checks for one reason or another. However, sometimes evictions happen to very wealthy people who were just very bad tenants. That is why you must perform eviction checks on all your tenant applicants, regardless of their income level.

Last week, several media outlets reported that troubled star, Amanda Bynes, was evicted from her NYC apartment. Bynes, who is reportedly worth $4 million, was kicked out following an arrest and numerous complaints. Neighbors say she was smoking in the hallways and very rude to the doormen.

Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, denied rumors she was evicted from her Georgia apartment last week. Brown, who is also reportedly worth several million dollars, claims she moved because of discord with neighbors. However, the neighbors claim Brown threw loud parties and they had to file at least 10 complaints with police and property management.

Eviction checks and landlord references  are imperative, because they can tell you invaluable things about a tenant that credit checks and employment history cannot.

Visit ATS Inc's homepage to find out more about our tenant screening services!

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Advertising Rental Property Online? Read this FIRST!

If you decide to advertise your rental property on free sites, such as Craigslist, or other real estate boards, there are a few things you should do to avoid headaches that come with online advertising.

First, protect yourself against spam. Do not provide your personal or professional email address in an online ad. Instead, have the messages come to you through web host, either by method of a personal inbox on the site or a forwarding system. You could also set up a designated email address for each property listing and have it send out an “auto-reply” with information about the rental, such as pet policies and tenant screening requirements. Also, attach an application. Only after you have established a dialogue with a legitimate tenant applicant who seems genuinely interested in your rental property, should you then exchange personal contact information.

Secondly, if the site doesn’t offer pictures (or even if does), ask the tenant applicant if they are familiar with the area of your rental property. Suggest they do a drive-by of the home to see if they are still interested in it before filling out an application. This will save you the time and trouble of conducting a background check and tenant screening if the person changes their mind after seeing the place.

Lastly, always make sure to include the rental price in your online listing. The first question on a prospective tenant’s mind is cost. If you don’t want to answer fifty to a hundred emails all asking the same question, make sure to include it in your property listing.

Visit ATS Inc's homepage to find out more about our tenant screening services!

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