Screening Tenants for Renting out Your Apartment

While renting your property, you need to ensure that your tenants are qualified for handling or residing in your property. Screening tenants helps you to get qualified tenants and you will get an opportunity to know your tenants better before signing lease or rental agreement. Today renting a property is one of the important sources of income for landlords. Instead of keeping your property or apartment vacant, you can rent out. Before you select your tenant you need to screen tenants and check their background to avoid future disputes.

Steps for Screening Tenants

If you are ready to renting out your house or apartment, it is time to scout for the right tenant. However, to prevent misunderstandings and to avoid surprises in future, here are steps for screening tenants.

• List of questions: Screening tenants begins when first they contact you either by telephone or in direct. You need to describe your property and prepare a list of questions to screen tenants. You can ask about reason for moving, number of people, smoking or drinking, married and number of kids, previous landlord’s contact number etc. A serious tenant will be anxious to answer all your questions correctly and the whole process will save you both time and from trouble later.

• Get to know as much about them: Simple things a person does can say volumes about him/her. Apart from speaking politely and showing respect, see if the person behaves well too. You can learn a lot about people even before speaking to them. Sometimes it helps to pay attention to details.

• Background check: If your potential tenant has a history of skipping rent or destroying property, you may be able to find this out through a background check. You can contact previous landlord to know more about your prospective tenants. Ensure Tenant does not involve in either antisocial or has criminal background.

• Reference: In screening process, you can ask for character references. Not all applicants will give you “real” references, so following up is essential. You can check a potential renter’s credit history. If you do not have their permission to run their credit report, you may not do so.

• The Application Process: Let the applicant know that his or her application will be considered along with others, and you will notify the applicant once a decision is made. Review and verify the application thoroughly and look for inconsistencies. Review and verify the application thoroughly and look for inconsistencies. Select the tenant whom you are satisfied with and let them know you have selected them.

• Finalizing the Deal: When you have made your decision, inform the prospect that they have been successful in meeting your requirements ahead of the other prospects. Remind the prospect to bring along the necessary documents, identification and a Surety (Guarantor), about the rent and deposit required.

• The Lease Signing: You can have a lease prepared for you by a solicitor or one who has some expertise in Landlord and Tenant matters. Make sure your paperwork is in order before signing the agreement. As you read the terms of the lease with the tenants, you will be able to conduct your final step of screening.

More than 95% of your tenant problems can be eliminated in the screening process. Establish a fair system of setting, collecting, holding, and returning security deposits. Include a written code of conduct with the rental application or written lease. This should clearly state what’s expected of you and your tenant. Screening Tenants is not a difficult task but you need to check references, background, reason for moving and background before you renting out your property. The tighter the screening process, the more likely you are to end up with a quality tenant and longer relationship.