Tenants who have been evicted may be a problem if you're renting out a house or apartment.You can find eviction records on the court website, since most U.S. courts have them online.The information provided to you by a prospective tenant will affect the accuracy of your search.You may be able to get a more detailed report on your prospect from online eviction report services.
Step 1: You can find the court website.
You can look at civil court records for free in most U.S. states.Depending on the state, you may not be able to see the full record.For each state, you can search for the court website where the applicants listed a previous address.Some court records are kept online at the county level.
Step 2: Search the records for the person.
You can usually find court records by the name of one of the parties.You can use the name on the application to run your search.Adding in or removing a middle initial is one way to check different combinations of the applicant's name.
Step 3: Double-check alternate names.
Prospective tenants should include a space on your rental application for the names they have used.To make sure there aren't any records that are slipping through the cracks, search all of the names the person has used.It's common for applicants to change their names after marriage.You can search for their birth name as well as their married name.You might want to look for alternate spellings for some names.
Step 4: You can view the full record at the court.
Most court websites don't tell you much about a case other than it exists.If you find a record that relates to your application, you can go to the clerk's office to see the full record.You have to know the outcome of the case.If a prospective tenant had their eviction dismissed in court, you wouldn't want to penalize them.You can mail a request if the court is far away and you can't travel there.You can find out about copying fees by calling the clerk's office.
Step 5: You can find an online service that works for you.
For a fee, you can get complete background and eviction checks online for your rental applicants.If you're managing multiple properties or have an applicants who has lived in several different states, these services can potentially save you a lot of time.There are different prices for online tenant report services.Pick the one you want if you have to.Make sure you check the background of the service before you sign up.If there have been complaints against the business, you can check with the Better Business Bureau.
Step 6: The tenant should give written permission.
Credit checks are run by online report services.U.S. law requires that you get written permission before you pull a credit report.The person giving you permission to run credit and background checks if you include a consent clause on your lease application.
Step 7: Provide the information to the service.
Online services can run credit and background checks in many different ways.You can input the information yourself from the rental application.The person has to create an account and provide information.Updating your rental application will ask for the same information the service will need to create reports.The report will be more accurate and helpful if you give the service more information.
Step 8: You need to retrieve your report.
Once the service has all the necessary information, it will give you a link to the report within a few days.The report will tell you what went wrong if more information is needed.The service might not have been able to verify your Social Security number.The number may have been typed in the wrong way.It's possible that the person wrote the wrong number on their application.
Step 9: Documentation of income and employment can be obtained.
Independent documentation can be used to verify information on applications.Personal identification, pay stubs, and bank statements are some of the important forms of documentation.Make sure the documents aren't forgeries.Asking for originals will help cut down on this.Request two forms of identification.There should be at least one photo ID.
Step 10: Check the pay and cash flow.
To verify the income of the employer, contact them.The bank statements of the applicants give you an idea of their cash flow and their ability to pay the rent.Check to see when the rent goes into their bank account if they are currently renting from someone else.After the rent is paid, check the balance.A high debt-to-income ratio may be a result of repeated credit card payments.
Step 11: Check references.
The names and contact information for 2 or 3 references should be provided on the rental application.The references should be people who aren't related to the applicants, and people with knowledge of their employment or financial history.Friends listed as references are usually not negative about the applicants and may not have enough information to be helpful.Asking for a reference from a former employer can reduce the chance of this happening.
Step 12: Consistency is achieved by using objective criteria consistently.
You might not like an application for a personal reason, but they will be a good tenant.The eligibility criteria for all applicants should be the same.Focus on the factors that affect whether the applicants will pay their rent on time.The ability to pay rent is not affected by other factors.It is against the law to discriminate against renters.
Step 13: Credit and background checks are done.
It is possible to assess the risk of renting to a particular person using official credit and criminal background checks.If you include a line in your rental application stating that you consent to a credit and criminal background check, you'll have a better chance of getting tenants.Set a minimum credit score that you'll accept for applicants, and apply it consistently to all applicants.If they pay a larger deposit, you may want to set a range for which you'll accept them.If there's a legal limit on the amount of the deposit you can ask for, you should check your state law.
Step 14: Use a renter assessment application.
If you manage multiple rental properties, you may want to subscribe to an online renter screening app.Multiple reports include credit, employment, income, and criminal background checks.You can get an overall score for each application.It's easier to make quick decisions on rental applications if you use the overall score.