Check Tenants Credit

It is vital for any landlord to know the type of tenants he is leasing his property to. With cases of tenants defrauding landlords by not paying their rent rising by day each landlord needs to be sure the tenant he is dealing with is a person of good character. The best place to obtain a credit check for a potential tenant is a credit bureau. Credit bureaus compile and store all vital credit information on different people. Before you can obtain the report, you will need a written authorization from the owner. You will then present the authorization to the bureau for them to give you the credit status report of the tenant. You may have to pay a small fee to the credit bureau to obtain the report. The credit check report will contain

i. The tenant’s real identity. This includes the official names plus his official contacts. Cases of people who forge their identities after committing criminal elsewhere are not strange. These people shift to other towns and acquire new names which help them to hide from the law enforcers. A tenant who does not want to reveal his real identity is not the best person to trust with your property.

ii. His credit history including his past rent payment habits, loan repayments and other debts repayments. This helps you to determine their ability and willingness to pay their rent in time. People who have a habit of submitting their payments late or failing to pay indicate a shaky financial situation which could be a problem even in your premises.

iii. Past residences and even former landlords. It is important you know their pat residences and if possible why they moved. If possible it will help if you can get some information from their past landlords. They may help you with some information that may not be in the tenant’s credit report.

iv. Criminal record, charges, pending cases, traffic offences or any other law suit. People who have problems with the law will most probably have problems with you if you rent them your houses. It is advisable to check carefully the type of offenses that they were charged for. It is always not wise to enter into deals with criminals. They may be a problem even to other tenants.

v. Employment status and history. Employment status report will help you measure the capability if the tenant to pay rent for the house they want. A jobless person looking for an expensive apartment for rent is a warning signal.

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