As a landlord, you have the responsibility of protecting your property and your investment. One of the best ways to do this is by running a tenant screening report. A tenant screening report will give you an in-depth look at a potential tenant’s rental history, credit score, employment history, and more. This information is important in helping you make a decision about whether or not to rent to a particular tenant.
While a tenant screening report is a valuable tool, it’s important to know how to read and interpret the information correctly. In this blog post, we will give you seven tips on how to check your tenant screening report so that you can make the best decision for your property.
Check for Accuracy
It’s important to check your tenant screening report for accuracy before making a decision on a prospective tenant. Here are some tips to help you do just that:
- Read over the entire report carefully. Pay close attention to all the details, including dates, addresses, and other personal information.
- Check for any errors or omissions. If you see anything that doesn’t seem right, contact the screening company and ask for clarification.
- Make sure all the information is up-to-date. Information on a tenant’s credit report, for example, may not be accurate if it’s more than a few months old.
By taking the time to review your tenant screening reports by tsci.com, you can be confident that you’re making the best possible decision for your property.
Check for Completeness
As a landlord, you want to make sure that you are getting the most complete and accurate information possible on your potential tenants. There are a few key things to look for when you are reviewing a tenant screening report:
1. Check for Completeness:
Make sure that all of the information requested on the application is included in the report. If any critical information is missing, it could lead to an incomplete picture of the applicant.
2. Look for Accuracy:
Pay close attention to the accuracy of the information included in the report. Incorrect or outdated information could lead to problems down the road.
3. Verify Sources:
Be sure to verify that all of the sources used in the report are reliable and up-to-date. This will help ensure that you are getting accurate information about your potential tenant.
4. Review for Red Flags:
Be on the lookout for any red flags that may be present in the report. This could include past evictions, criminal history, or other negative information. If you see any red flags, be sure to investigate further before moving forward with renting to that applicant.
Check for Bias
Before you even start looking at tenants, it’s important to check for bias in your screening process. This can happen at any stage, from the application all the way through to eviction.
There are a few ways to do this:
-Read over your questions and make sure they can’t be interpreted in a way that would discriminate against any protected class (i.e., age, race, religion, etc.).
-Remove any questions that could be used to screen out tenants based on their personal beliefs or lifestyle choices. For example, asking about marital status or whether or not someone plans on having children could be used to unfairly discriminate against tenants.
-Make sure you’re using the same criteria for every tenant. For example, if you require a certain credit score for one tenant, you should require the same credit score for all tenants.
-Be aware of your own biases and how they might influence your decision-making. We all have unconscious biases that can impact our judgement, so it’s important to be aware of them and try to account for them.
Check the Source
When you are looking at your tenant screening report, it is important to check the source of the information. Make sure that the information is coming from a reputable source, such as a credit reporting agency or an online background check service.
You should also verify that the information on the report is accurate. If you see anything on the report that you believe to be inaccurate, you should contact the credit reporting agency or background check service to have it corrected.
It is also important to keep in mind that not all information on a tenant screening report will be negative. Some positive information may also be included, such as rental history or employment history.
Check the Date
When you receive a tenant screening report, the first thing you should do is check the date to make sure the information is current. This is especially important if the report is more than a few months old.
If the report is outdated, it may not reflect the most recent information on the tenant, which could lead to an inaccurate decision. Always check the date of the report and make sure it is no more than a few months old before making any decisions based on its contents.
Look for a landlord’s reference
When you are looking for a tenant screening report, it is important to look for a landlord’s reference. This will give you an idea of the type of person your prospective tenant is and whether or not they would be a good fit for your property.
A landlord’s reference can be found by doing a search online or by asking the prospective tenant for their contact information. Once you have the landlord’s contact information, you can call them and ask about their experience with the tenant.
Be sure to ask specific questions about the tenant’s rental history and their overall demeanor. This will help you get a better idea of what type of person your prospective tenant is and whether or not they would be a good fit for your property.
Conclusion
After you’ve collected all of the necessary information from your tenant screening report, it’s time to put it all together and make a decision. Here are seven important tips to help you check your tenant screening report and choose the best possible tenant for your rental property: 1. Check the applicant’s rental history. 2. Make sure the applicant has a good credit score. 3. Verify that the applicant has a steady income. 4. Ask for references from past landlords. 5. Conduct a criminal background check. 6. Check for any eviction records. 7. Read through the lease agreement carefully before signing it with the tenant.”
