Nowadays, more people are interested in renting than owning a house. Tenants in the U.S. are experiencing their largest increase to date, and this trend continues to grow. While filling vacancies in your rental property is important, it is equally important to find qualified tenants. It can be difficult to trust the right people with your property, especially if it is your first time letting out a place to strangers. Fortunately, there are several ways to screen prospective tenants.
Here are three great ways to screen tenants for your rental property.
Have a Tenant Pre-Screening Checklist
When someone is interested in your property, you probably have a lot of questions in mind. Perhaps you’re wondering what their income is or if they have a pet. You can save yourself some time and headaches by creating a checklist that your prospective tenants fill out before they move in. This will help you get to know them a bit better, and it will make it easier to find out information that’s important to you.
Here are a few examples of questions you can put on your pre-screening checklist:
- What are your monthly expenses?
- Do you have any pets?
- Do you have a car?
- Do you have children?
- What is your income?
- Are there any specific reasons you’re looking to move out?
Having a checklist can also save you time. By having a list of questions to ask, you’re more likely to remember to ask about things that are important to you. You might not think about asking about pets or children, but if these are important to you, then making sure prospective tenants know this is crucial.
Hire Background Screening Services
When searching for a new tenant, you are going to have to take some time researching the people who are interested in renting from you. Sure, the internet can give you the basics on a prospective tenant, but a full background check can give you much more information. When you hire background check services Utah, you’ll find out if they have a criminal record, if they’ve ever been sued, if they owe money to anyone, or if they’ve ever been evicted. With background screening services, you get fast and accurate tenant checks on identity verification, credit verification, and even National Criminal and Sex Offender Search.
Ask for References
Asking for references can give you more information about your prospective renters. If it is possible, ask for the contact information of their current landlord or even neighbors. This way, you can ask for feedback from them and get more information on how they are as a renter. Asking for references can also help you weed out those who are not serious about renting from you.
The Bottom Line
The right tenant is essential to a successful rental business. Ideally, you want to find tenants who are responsible, reliable, and will treat your property well. With a little effort and help from background check services Utah, you can find these tenants in no time.
