Now that the kids are back in school and fall is in the air, the holiday season fast approaches. Some people look toward Christmas or Thanksgiving. But the rush of the holidays truly starts with Halloween.

Every year neighborhood children dress as ghouls and goblins, lions and princesses. Scary costumes to friendly costumes: it is, after all, trick or treat.

Finding tenants for rental properties is a lot like Halloween: Trick or Treat.

There are numerous challenges to finding a good tenant. Beyond the fiscal ability to afford a monthly rent or lease other factors come into play. Are perspective tenants going to be a positive part of the rental community? Will they care for the property in a respectful way? Will they follow the rules of a given property?

Consider the damage a bad tenant can cause:

1. Failure to pay rent. Obvious, sure, but inability to pay rent destroys the return on investment for a property.
2. Failure to peacefully exist within a community. Unruly bad tenants can drive away long-term renters and every property manager and landlord knows that a long-term renter is ideal. They pay on-time, keep the peace, and behave in a manner generally accepted by those living around them. Loss of a long-term renter further destroys or decreases return on investment.
3. Damage to property. A bad tenant that destroys property is difficult to evict and eviction, in itself, is a time-consuming and costly activity. Further, damage to the interior of a property can add up quickly. Also, damage to the exterior of property not only decreases the value of that property, it can help destroy the reputation of a property. Property damage can lead to having a bad reputation overall, one that lends itself to less than ideal tenants seeking rental property.

Good tenants only heighten the value of a property and its community. They create long-term fiscal stability for owners, enhance the general population of a rental community thereby creating a desirable community other potential good tenants may want to live in.

With the continued economic woes and slow return to growth, more and more individuals and families are turning to rental properties as their primary home. With strong demand and relatively low supply the landlords and property managers have the opportunity to make careful selections.

In order to avoid the “trick” property managers and landlords must carefully screen new and perspective tenants. Careful interviews and tenant checks greatly assist in this process.

Tenant screening should review a renters background in a thorough way:

• References from previous properties
• Consumer Credit Checks
• Criminal History background checks both a local (county) and National level
• Bankruptcies, Liens, and Judgments
• Evictions
• Local and national sex offender registry review

Enjoy the “treat” of a good tenant through a proper review of their background history. Understanding what an individual or family can bring to a property is more than just another unit leased. Long term renters provide a degree of fiscal stability, assist in creating a pleasant and desirable community, and enhance the reputation of a given property.

Don’t end up with a “trick” renter, enjoy the “treat.”

TenantScreeningUSA.com has been providing the information landlords and property managers need to make a solid decision on “treat” renters. Understanding a perspective tenants background as well as conducting a solid interview goes a long way in creating a profitable environment. Contact TenantScreeningUSA.com for a program that will help make that decision. Quick, cost effective, and efficient, TenantScreeningUSA.com is the first step to a Happy Halloween.

As the leaves begin to turn and the chill of autumn fills the air, millions of young adults return to college and university campuses across the United States. There is a sense of excitement, anticipation, and eagerness to get started; the thrill of new experiences and achievements; and the trepidation over living arrangements.

While many colleges offer on-campus housing, the supply often outweighs the demand. Although each community is different and their availability of housing fluid, most communities struggle to keep up with demand.

As the economy struggles to return, many families that have been forced out of ownership have been forced into the rental market. Low cost housing that was once the bailiwick of college students have been taken over by families.

But many college students have more flexibility than the average American family seeking shelter. Parents and family members often contribute financially to a student’s living arrangements and that allows more options. Of course college students seek out other arrangements as well.

Renting a room in a family’s home or renting a house with the cost spread out over several roommates are common practices in towns where rental housing is significantly impacted. But there can be risk involved in not knowing your roommate.

Landlords and property managers are diligent in screening their tenants in order to create safe living environments as well as ensuring the fiscal capability of a tenant. Without a tenant check there can be significant risk and the potential loss to property, both physical and financial, can increase. A thorough tenant check will review a perspective tenant’s fiscal capability, their rental history, and criminal histories.

When a young adult looks into renting a room in a family dwelling, the homeowner should be just as diligent and conduct a tenant check on the student. While they may not have the credit or rental history an older candidate might, it is important to understand what information is available. Often a co-signer may be required, and those individuals should be background checked as well, if only to ensure fiscal responsibility and worthiness.

Renting a home shared by several roommates can be a daunting task as well. This is a risky proposition for a property owner. A tenant check should be conducted on all individuals living in the house and a firm rental agreement in place, one that explicitly outlines the responsibilities of all renters. Further, it may be of benefit for the tenant checks to be shared amongst the group of roommates. This would provide information drawn from public agencies that would inform the group who they are living with.

In the end the challenges of attending college can be severe. Limited classroom space and class selection, reduction in resources, and higher tuition fees all combine to impact the student. Add to this the challenge of finding a viable living space and the pressure increases.

Tenant checks help alleviate the stress. Both for landlords and property managers, as well as a group of roommates that may not know each other, a tenant check can provide valuable information in making a big decision.

TenantScreeningUSA.com has the tools that prove valuable to both landlord and tenant. To get more information go to TenantScreeningUSA.com. They have the experience and access to information required to make an informed rental decision.

As summer begins to wind down, children and parents begin to look forward to going back to school. For many families summer is time for vacations and, often, the only time. However, as more and more schools change to year-round programs, vacations begin to occur at different times of the year, other than summer.

So here’s a question: Is that summer vacation home sitting empty in the winter? And: Could that be an income opportunity?

With the recent decline in the housing economy opportunities abound for individuals to purchase low cost homes both as an investment and a vacation property. But a vacation property that sits empty off season may provide additional income.

In a recent article on bloomberg.com (July 30, 2012) Carla Fried writes about “How To Rent Out Your Vacation Home.” It is a valuable article for those that have such an opportunity.

Some people have already realized the opportunity to gain additional cash flow to the family budget. In fact a few turn to renting vacation homes as a means of recovering from the Great Recession of 2008.

Financial concerns pushed Heather Zorzini, a retired flight attendant, to rent out her three-bed, one-bath farmhouse in Milford, Connecticut. “Renovation costs on a house built in 1835 are astronomical, and my postretirement plans didn’t include the 2008 stock market meltdown,” she says.

http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/296840?type=bloomberg

As with any opportunity there are inherent costs, steps, and challenges. Fried highlights several items:

• Renting the property.   This takes time and a slow response to an inquiry one could lose a valuable prospect.

• Guest, not tenant.   Fried quotes in her article, “It’s a mistake to think of yourself as the landlord and the renter as your tenant.”

• Marketing is king.  Renting out a vacation home is a highly competitive market, there is a cost in getting a property on the right websites and, subsequently, in front of the right clients.

One item of discussion not mentioned in the article may be critical: Tenant Screening.

On the surface one may consider a vacation home renter a guest, but ultimately they are a short-term tenant, whether a guest stays one-week or several months. Certainly a background check need not be as extensive as a traditional one, but protecting the property as well as neighbors of the property may be of some concern. Further, should a vacation home rental extend beyond a short period of a week or two, the level of tenant check may increase.

Tenant screening helps protect property, specifically it protects an investment. In challenging economic times where individuals are seeking additional income, not potential additional cost, a tenant check makes sense.

TenantScreeningUSA.com provides full service background screening to landlords and property managers of any size. Whether it is a long-term permanent rental, or a relatively short-term vacation rental, TenantScreeningUSA.com can assist the specific needs of an owner, landlord, or property manager. For more information explore TenantScreeningUSA.com today.

With a simple Google search one can discover hundreds of horror stories about bad tenants. It’s nothing new. In general, most tenants are ideal, or close to ideal. They pay rent on time, follow the rules, and behave in an acceptable manner within the rental community. Others are less than ideal.

In Yakima Washington there is an entire complex purported to be filled with “bad tenants.” A single news story can illustrate with absolute clarity one of the key reasons landlords and property managers should conduct a thorough tenant background check prior to signing a leasing agreement.

The most obvious reason is financial. Can a tenant afford the property they are renting? Do they have solid employment? Will they pay on time? Another concerns safety to other long-term renters. Does a potential tenant have a criminal background that may reflect potential recidivism? Is a perspective tenant a sex offender? But a lesser reason is that of reputation of given rental property.

From a local Yakima news report:

Yakima Police told KIMA up until a few months ago, they were responding to a crime or complaint every single day here at the Mesa apartments. These days, there’s still a heavy police presence – just for very different reasons.

If a police department is responding to a crime or complaint on a daily basis that property will gain a bad reputation, a reputation that may be difficult to lose. Unfortunately, as a reputation decreases a landlord or property manager may be willing to take short cuts in vetting tenants or reducing a monthly rate in order to gain full occupancy of the property.

Fortunately the Yakima Police Department has been proactive in assisting a new manager in reducing the problems around the complex.

“We’re going to give the new manager here some training and screening of tenants,” … “We’ll get the problem people out of here.”
http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/There-was-big-a-drug-problem-a-crime-problem-155566445.html

Screening tenants can help improve the quality of life in a rental complex, as well as the reputation of that complex. With the addition of long-term tenants there is an ability to increase and project stable revenue. Tenant screening can provide detailed information a landlord or property manager needs to make an informed decision. A tenant check can go beyond a simple credit check. It may include criminal history, eviction records, employment verification, and a variety of other tools that will greatly assist decision makers.

Rental property owners know that a reputation can be everything. The wrong tenant or, in this case, the wrong group of tenants can destroy more than property. And once a property is on a downward spiral it can be very difficult to climb back. Tenant background screening can assist in preventing loss of reputation on the front end.

TenantScreeningUSA.com is a full-service tenant background screening company providing services to both landlords and renters. For more information go to www.TenantScreeningUSA.com

Waltham, Mass. – May 10, 2012 – Increasingly, foreclosures and short sale homes come back onto the market as rentals. Combined with a new trend of transient renters, the rental market has dramatically changed. Gone are the days where single-dwelling or small unit apartment buildings could trust a potential renter with a short conversation and a handshake. And gone too are the days where a renter could trust an individual representing themselves as a property owner could actually be relied on to be the actual owner.

TenantScreeningUSA.com takes the guesswork out of who one is renting too and who the renter is renting from.

Every day the news is filled with articles and blogs about bad tenants and the damage left behind. Consider one such situation in Edmonton, Canada. A property owner rented out a property without conducting a tenant background check.

From the Global Edmonton:
Allison McMillan thought she had the ideal renter when she met the family with two small children and both parents had steady employment.
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/landlord+left+a+mess+from+destructive+tenants/6442617598/story.html

When the couple fell behind on monthly payments McMillan quickly discovered the mistake she made during a property inspection whereupon she discovered significant damage. In the end Miss McMillan admitted her mistake by not conducting a tenant background check, a mistake that cost her $ 16,000 in repairs.

TenantScreeningUSA.com provides credit checks as well as access to a wide variety of public records, including national criminal checks, renter fraud warnings and renter identity verification. These background checks greatly assist property owners in making wise decisions in who they rent properties too.

On the opposite side of the rental coin, renters should also do background records checks on individual’s whose property they may rent. In the State of Washington a trend has emerged where potential renters do checks on property owners. And the reason is clear.

Nefarious individuals claim to own an abandoned property in which they have access. They can simply post an ad in the local paper or on Craigslist, claim it as their own, request first, last, and a security deposit, up front and in cash, and, ultimately, disappear.
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120403/SCBJ11/304039998/1005/BIZ

Every day trends change, just as the ability to access certain public records modifies.

In June 2012 Courts in New York City will no longer supply lists of names involved with tenant-owner legal actions, subsequently making it more difficult, but not impossible, to obtain this information. The City felt that some property owners utilized these lists to essentially “black-list” certain apartment dwellers just because of their inclusion on the list. The “list” names individuals involved, it is not a specific, case-by-case description, and many of the listed individuals could, potentially, have no involvement.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/04/courts_will_sto.php

Utilizing their innovative screening system, TenantScreeningUSA.com is a one-stop shop for the needs of both the renter and property manager. Ideal for the needs of single- or limited-unit landlords, renters, and realtors, TenantScreeningUSA.com creates a safe and secure information portal. Landlords can gain a complete picture of their rental applicant, with access to prospective tenant’s credit history, criminal record, and other information in one spot. Rental applicants gain the security of a safe environment for storing their information that landlord’s access. Using TenantScreeningUSA.com allows Social Security numbers, birth dates, and related information to be masked.

In an ever changing housing market, renters and property owners alike can benefit significantly by working with TenantScreeningUSA.com. Property owners don’t get scammed by potentially malicious renters and renters don’t get scammed by potentially malicious property owners. TenantScreeningUSA.com is fast, secure, and affordable. Visit www.TenantScreeningUSA.com today to get started….

As with any debate there are always two sides.  In the argument over mandatory tenant background checks there are indeed two sides, but with very similar goals.

The movement behind mandatory tenant background checks is based on the need to lower crime rates and, subsequently, reduce the cost of police call-outs to monitor and control criminal activity.

In the city of Dubuque, Iowa their city council has enacted an ordinance requiring tenant background screening.

From their website, a document states:

The City of Dubuque wants landlords to be successful. Screening applications is a proven way to stabilize rental properties, increase occupancies and reduce complaints. As of July 1, 2011, Dubuque rental property owners/managers must perform criminal background checks on all rental applicants.
http://www.cityofdubuque.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=3494

At the surface these actions appear innocuous and seemingly straight forward.  In fact some cities in Utah that have enacted similar requirements with a degree of success:

From the Deseret News, July 18, 2008:

Ogden and West Valley City have seen a 12 percent and 30 percent reduction in calls for police and fire service in high-rental neighborhoods since they implemented their programs…
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700244022/Provo-scraps-mandatory-background-checks.html?pg=2

Yet with the success noted above the city of Provo, Utah backed away from a mandatory to a voluntary tenant screening requirement. A rough draft of the ordinance drew unexpected criticism “from property managers concerned about being compelled to complete tenant background checks.”  (Desert News, July 18, 2008)

As reported on NBC’s Dallas-Fort Worth local news website (www.nbcdfw.com) on August 2, 2011, police crackdowns on apartment crime have reduced crime but raised concerns in other areas.

Irving police say an apartment crime crackdown has helped score record low crime rates, but critics say the measure is excluding some people from renting.

Apartment complexes that have a certain amount of crime are required to conduct criminal background screenings on potential tenants.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/NAACP-Criticizes-Mandatory-Tenant-Background-Checks-99805399.html

The NACCP claims that such actions requiring background screenings will unfairly target potential and existing residents.  Individuals with minor or outdated criminal histories could be discriminated against and denied their rights to fair housing.

Regardless of what side one takes in the argument for or against mandatory tenant screening one thing is abundantly clear:  Tenant background screening reduces crime.  With a population that is increasingly transitory, apartments and rental properties are often stopping points.  Running a national and county criminal history report will help reduce crimes against persons and property.

To reinforce the need for Tenant Screening one must consider a recent situation in Kansas.

KCTV, a local television station in Kansas City, recently reported on a months’ long investigation into a particular family that had a long history of moving from one rental property to another, each time being evicted or leaving just before the process began.  During their stays at given rental property the family inflicted tens of thousands of dollars in damage.  Due to the nature of their crime the police could not be involved.  Crimes against properties, in this instance, are civil matters.

The article ends with a local police officer’s sage advice:

First and foremost…pay a professional company to do tenant background checks.
http://www.kctv5.com/story/17014858/kctv-investigates-houses-of-horror

TenantScreeningUSA.com is a professional background screening company with an educated and dedicated staff that can guide property managers and landlords alike through the vast complexities of Tenant Screening.

Tenant screening is a critical tool in creating a safe environment for people and property.  It can reduce crime as well as prevent property damage.  Contact TenantScreeningUSA.com today for assistance in creating the perfect tenant screening package.

Whether it is mandatory or voluntary, Tenant Screening, ultimately, is common sense.

This has been a TenantScreeningUSA.com News Publication – All rights reserved
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A recent Chicago Tribune article (January 20, 2012) illustrates the topic of Eviction Reports being a critical component of Tenant Screening.  While the idea of not doing an Eviction Report before engaging a rental agreement would strike some property managers and/or landlords as unthinkable, there are large sectors of the housing economy that apparently do not hold this to be true.

From the Tribune article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/apartments/sc-cons-0119-forceful-evictions-20120120,0,3497119.story

In today’s economic climate, small-time mom-and-pop landlords should do more than run credit checks on would-be tenants. They also should make sure the people they are considering haven’t been forcibly removed from their previous residences.

Credit checks have and remain a central component of a Tenant Screening.  After all, if an individual or family does not show the financial wherewithal to pay rent, there is literally no point in offering a rental property.  Credit Reports are solid indicators of the ability to retain fiscal responsibility toward a rental agreement.

The Tribune article continues:

According to the National Sheriffs’ Association, forceful evictions by law enforcement officers have been on the upswing for the last few years, giving rise to a new group of nomadic tenants, many of whom know how to game the system.

The idea of “nomadic tenants” should give any so-called mom and pop significant pause.  The cost of upkeep and maintenance for small unit rental properties or even single unit rental properties can be significant.  Without the ability to spread this cost over several units profit margins get squeezed.  Additionally, the potential of additional damage or items in need of repair through the eviction process can be noteworthy.

Eviction reports are relatively inexpensive and do provide a significant advantage to the landlord or property manager.  Consider the length of time it takes for an eviction to appear on a credit report, often up to 90 days, to the time it takes forceful eviction to appear on an eviction report, often less than 30 days.  The risk of running only a credit report as a tool in considering a renter is considerable.

At TenantScreeningUSA.com and CriminalBackgroundRecords.com credit reports as well as evictions records are available to landlords and/or property managers of any size.  They have the knowledge, experience, and understanding to greatly assist in any Tenant Screening requirement.  Take the risk out of renting, contact TenantSCreeningUSA.com or CriminalBackgroundRecords.com and speak to one of the skilled consultants in developing the right package of tenant screening reports to fit your exact needs.

Contact TenantScreeningUSA.com today for more information on low-cost, high-value tenant screening.

This has been a TenantScreeningUSA.com News Publication – All rights reserved

TenantScreeningUSA.com is “An Information Enterprises Solution”

1. Tenant Interview.  Face-to-face interviews can create a significant comfort level both for the manager and the tenant.  A carefully worded and crafted interview can provide significant insight to a tenant’s mindset.  Also, appearance, attitude and manners can play a significant role toward decision making.
2. Tenant Background Check.  Often there are several reports and/or documents that can be provided for review that will assist a manager in making a decision on a tenant.

   1. Criminal History.  At the County level a Criminal History check can be a good indicator of future behavior.  However, it is important to understand the limits of Criminal History.  In most cases a Criminal History review can only go back seven years and will only provide convictions.  At the County level it will only show convictions within that jurisdiction.
   2. National Criminal Records.  A National Criminal Records review will provide information on convictions that occur outside a specified jurisdiction, such as a County.  While a County record will certainly report the most current information, a nationwide search will provide a broader scope of information.
   3. Evictions.  An obvious choice but often is overlooked, especially if a Credit Report comes back relatively clean.
   4. Credit Report.  The key document in understanding a potential tenant’s ability to provide fiscal responsibility in fulfilling terms of a lease or tenant agreement.
   5. Nationwide Sex Offenders Report.  Sex offenders can be transient and relying on a single state report would be a mistake.

The housing economy in the United States has become increasingly based on rental properties and renters.  Even as the new home market slowly begins to improve, renting a property may become the de facto favorite form of living.  Renting a home or apartment allows greater flexibility in lifestyle, lower overall maintenance cost and a simpler housing situation.  While home ownership will never lose its appeal, renting a home or property is no longer cast in a less than favorable light.

As this trend of renting increases and more people turn to rental living as their lifestyle choice combined with a broader variety of available properties, landlords, property managers and rental agents must have the ability to get fast results on potential tenants.  Move too slowly and off they go, to another property, another rental option.

Tenant Background Checks are a primary tool utilized by property owners when they consider a new tenant and results have to be quick, accurate and complete.  Used in tandem with applications and interviews, a Tenant Check provides insight to a tenant’s fiscal responsibility as well as a snapshot of the applicant’s past.  Tenant Checks review credit, criminal history and rental history.  It is a relatively simple procedure to conduct but the slightest delay could cost a landlord an ideal tenant.

A fast Tenant Check can afford a good tenant to a property and each good tenant adds to the value of the community.  In the end a safe and secure rental community creates a strong fiscal environment for the property owner.

And it all starts with a fast, accurate and complete Tenant Check.

TenantScreeningUSA.com provides the solutions to every property manager and rental agents needs.  Reports are complete, east-to-read, low-cost and fast.  Now any property owner can get the exact tenants they need to create a safe, secure and financially viable rental community.

Contact TenantScreeningUSA.com today and get started on the fastest, most affordable Tenant Check available.  Pull reports 24 hours a day, on-line and in a safe, secure information portal.  TenantScreengUSA.com…Fast, Simple, Done!

TenantScreeningUSA.com automatically performs a 50-State Sex Offender Search with every tenant check performed through them.  For $25 you get a national criminal check, 50-state sex offender search, viewable credit report, viewable credit score and an actual leasing recommendation.

 
This has been a TenantScreeningUSA.com News Publication – All rights reserved
TenantScreeningUSA.com is “An Information Enterprises Solution”

Every day more and more people turn to rental properties as a form of securing housing for themselves and their families.  The days of home ownership are seemingly becoming a thing of the past.  Renting a single family dwelling, condominium or apartment has evolved beyond a move of last resort to one that is embraced and, in many cases, preferred to ownership.  With the value of properties slow to increase, many feel the risk of ownership is too much.  This gradual shift in attitude has become a boom for property owners, managers and landlords.

With more candidates available to rent a property a landlord must remain diligent in the vetting process for a new tenant.  Often times they may rely only on a few background reports, such as criminal background records check, unlawful detainers and credit check.  Surprisingly a search of the National Sex Offender check can be skipped or overlooked.

National Sex Offender Checks are an essential part of the tenant screening process.  Most importantly, National Sex Offender Checks can assist in creating a safe environment for new tenants as well as existing tenants.  A property can easily gain a reputation of renting to “anyone.”  In such an environment the churn of renters will be high and fiscally secure tenants will be greatly decreased.  Simply put, a complex or property that has a bad reputation will not attract long-term, high value tenants.  National Sex Offender Checks are a low-cost and valuable tool in making a rental or leasing decision, and statistics back this claim up.

A property manager or landlord must protect there tenants.  Consider the following cribbed information from a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice – Bureau of Justice Statistics:

The Justice Department followed roughly 10,000 male sex offenders for three years after they were released from prison in 1994.   Out of this pool of offenders, almost half of them were convicted child molesters.  This study gives huge insight as to the conduct of convicted sex offenders who were discharged from prison and provides a compelling look into their behavior following their release from prison and their conduct over the next three years in a free society.

• Within 3 years following their release, 5.3% of sex offenders (men who had committed rape or sexual assault) were re-arrested for another sex crime.

• The total pool of discharged sex offenders on average only served 3 & 1/2 years of their 8-year sentence.

• Released sex offenders were 4-times more likely to be re-arrested for a sex crime when compared to non-sex-offenders released from state prisons.

A National Sex Offender search should be a part of any tenant screening package.  It is a low cost addition to every tenant background checks.  This is especially true of smaller rental unit properties.  Offenders are likely to target small apartment complexes with the thought that the smaller the property the less likely a Sex Offender Search will take place.

TenantScreeningUSA.com automatically performs a 50-State Sex Offender Search with every tenant check performed through them.  For $25 you get a national criminal check, 50-state sex offender search, viewable credit report, viewable credit score and an actual leasing recommendation.

This has been a TenantScreeningUSA.com News Publication – All rights reserved

TenantScreeningUSA.com is “An Information Enterprises Solution”