Ever had to evict someone? Collect past due rent? Had to deal with the police “visiting” a tenant on your property? Without an effective screening program, these issues and others can literally land right on your doorstep. What is the difference between screening and effectively screening? Instant/low cost screening can leave you with a false sense of security. American Tenant Screen, Inc. is dedicated to providing an effective screening solution that will lower your risks.
The Importance of Effective Tenant Screening
Effective screening enables you to assess the person’s financial viability and use past behavior to anticipate future problems in several ways. For starters, you can reduce your financial risk as a property manager through an employment verification that may reveal a discrepancy in your applicant’s reported income and their actual income, thus allowing you to determine that he or she cannot reasonably afford to rent out the unit. A credit report will show if they treat their financial obligations responsibly or if they have a tendency to pay late or overextend themselves. This is also a good way to verify the person’s identity and discover any aliases or previous addresses especially those in another state. By finding this out sooner rather than later, you can avoid the financial and logistical burden of having to evict the tenant and take them to court for back-rent or other monies owed.
In addition to lowering your financial risk as a property manager, an effective screening program will help you reveal applicants with court records in their name. For example: If they have been filed against for eviction from any of their previous addresses not just the one they supplied to you. Criminal convictions can also be tracked to previous addresses but will be missed if your screening program is not setup to look for them. For example, an applicant may claim that they have never been convicted of a crime, whether it be a misdemeanor or felony. However, an effective criminal background check will look through all available data in multiple states to find a match to your applicant. A reputable screening company will let you know if their search covers a specific state or county. Be wary of any screening company that claims “nationwide” criminal records. Certain states and counties charge a fee to access court records and these searches are rarely instant.
You should round out your screening program with a Bad Check report and a Previous Landlord Verification to find out what kind of tenant they have been in the past.
Finally, it is possible that using a tenant screening service could even protect you from a discrimination suit down the road. That’s because this service allows you to make a more objective decision regarding whether or not an applicant is a good fit for your property. Instead, your decision is based solely on facts, and this can easily be used in court in the event of an attempted discrimination suit.
What to Look for in Tenant Screening Services
Your properties are unique. Your needs are unique. You need a company that understands and can deliver. There are some specific features you’ll want to look for to make the right decision. For starters, look for a service that will help you address your key concerns and provide you with a variety of information. Furthermore, make sure that the tenant screening service you choose doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to screening and includes criminal background checks, credit reports, employment veirifcation, previous rental history, and more.
Why Choose American Tenant Screen, Inc?
Tenant screening services from American Tenant Screen, Inc. include a number of useful tools to help you quickly screen applicants and find the right tenants to fill your vacancies. Furthermore, our system utilizes unique features such as tenant management software, electronic signatures, flexible reports, and more to be as user-friendly as possible.
Make the right decisions when it comes to filling vacancies at your rental property. Implement a tenant screening service through AmericanTenantScreen.com today and you may find yourself wondering how you ever got by without this service before.
