Tips for Smarter Tenant Screening

Screening tenants is one of the best ways to avoid landlord-tenant disputes. Although nothing guarantees a stress-free tenancy, thoroughly screening your applicants will surely reduce the risk. Establishing tenant screening criteria, such as stable income, rental history, and responsible behavior, is crucial in this process. 

By downloading our tenant screening checklist pdf, you will have a guide to lead you through this important process. This checklist helps in finding reliable and responsible tenants who meet rental obligations and contribute to a hassle-free rental experience. 

Why Should You Prioritize the Tenant Screening Process? 

Eviction is a lengthy, difficult, and costly process that you should avoid unless truly necessary. Vetting a tenant prior to them even getting the keys, including steps like verifying their monthly income and viewing their credit history, will help you avoid eviction the best you can.  

There are a few critical factors that can hint at a tenant’s ability to be a good renter. Conducting background and credit checks as well as assessing past rental history should give you a good idea of who is the most likely to keep up with their rent payments and follow the rules outlined in their lease. It’s also crucial to verify the tenant’s ability to pay rent by assessing their income and employment history. 

It’s a smart idea to include specific details such as a credit check, background check, and application fee in the rental listing. This helps pre-screen potential renters and set expectations for your tenant screening criteria. 

Common Landlord Missteps in Tenant Screening

New landlords are vulnerable to some common mistakes. Even an experienced property manager can fall into these tenant screening traps.  

#1: Not Verifying Both Landlord and Employer References 

While it seems obvious to contact the applicant’s previous landlord, it’s also important to contact their current and former employers. Not only can you use that point of contact to verify the tenant’s reported position (including their role, income, and length of employment), but it’s also a good way to ensure that they remain in good standing with those bosses and were a reliable employee. If someone was an irresponsible employee, it’s possible that they have a larger risk of being a non-ideal tenant. This makes reaching out to the tenant’s prior landlords and employers a telling component of the tenant screening process. 

#2: Assuming You Have a Right to Run Credit and Criminal Background Checks 

Your applicants’ privacy should be one of the most important things you consider as you’re going through the tenant screening process. Credit and criminal background checks contain large amounts of personal information. Although this information is helpful when screening an applicant, you must remember that the tenant must first give you written permission to run a credit report or background check.  

Additionally, remember that in many states, renters have protections against discrimination based on certain aspects of their criminal histories. While landlords can generally deny a prospective tenant based on a criminal conviction, it must be clear how their criminal record makes them an ill-suited tenant—and in some states, even conviction-based rental decisions are restricted. Be sure you’re familiar with the law in your state before using criminal histories during tenant screening. 

#3: Trusting the Prospective Tenant to Provide their Own Credit Check 

Once you’ve obtained written permission, it’s always preferable for you to run the credit check on your applicant with a trusted third party. Although many applicants have good intentions, there are a few who will purposefully alter credit information to make them seem like a better applicant. Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian are great options for applicant credit checks.  

Conclusion 

Although tenant screening may seem overwhelming, dealing with the even more complicated eviction process is not a risk you want to take. Tenants can be the best or worst part of the property managing job, and proper tenant screening is a good way to reduce the potential for tenant-related headaches. Selecting the right tenant is crucial for maintaining a positive landlord-tenant relationship and ensuring the smooth operation of your rental property. 

Start finding great tenants for your properties today by downloading Innago’s free printable tenant screening checklist above.