A tenant’s credit score is not impacted by an eviction lawsuit. When a landlord obtains a credit report from a tenant screening service such as RealSerious.com that uses…
Watch the three minute video by American Landlord titled “The Best Tenant Screening Services” to learn about the different types of accounts and ordering options…
For purposes of this discussion, we will be focusing on the needs of home-based landlords (not professional companies). The small landlord has been given…
Income verification (as well as employment verification) is not a very reliable tool when screening a tenant for the very reason that jobs are changed…
A tenant who uses drugs or deals drugs can be a significant liability to your investment property, neighboring tenants, and community. Based on actual law…
Before you sign a lease and hand over the keys to your rental property, watch this video for essential steps every landlord should follow when…
HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, released new guidance on April 4, 2016 regarding the Fair Housing Act and how it should be…
It may seem unfair to some, but tenants actually have more flexibility without recourse when it comes to choosing which landlord they do business with…
Surprisingly, many landlords just aren’t suspicious of their clean cut applicants. While it is imperative to give every applicant the benefit of the doubt, it’s…
There are many who claim the act of Googling applicants by searching for their online activities is a double-edged sword that may prove to be…
You should never let an applicant furnish their own credit report. There is no federal law prohibiting a landlord from obtaining one as long as…
No good person ever really wants to reject or refuse service to anyone – whether it’s a bank, employer, insurance company or whatever. If the…
Commonly referred to as “no hit” or “no record,” this is when the credit bureaus do not have any information on file for your applicant.…
Before you accept a rental application, it is imperative that you ask to see some type of government-issued photo identification (e.g. a driver’s license or…
First—it’s okay! Asking someone to pay to apply for tenancy is not only okay, it’s an established, industry-accepted practice. Every landlord should charge a reasonable,…
Credit reporting agencies, which are governed by the Federal Trade Commission and the Fair Credit Reporting Act require that every landlord obtain a proper Acknowledgment…
Don’t be surprised if you sometimes feel like verifying someone’s employment is like pulling teeth – especially among the larger companies that have their toll-free…
The first step in searching criminal records is contacting the Clerk of the Court – which is an elected official, responsible for maintaining court records…
You may be wondering which crimes to look for and how to rate them. Well, this is – of course – very subjective, but one…
It’s hard to reject someone who is facing foreclosure. After all, this is why the person wants to rent from you in the first place.…
Here is what you need to find out and why: When did the divorce occur? It is important to understand the approximate time frame in…
It’s hard to paint a masterpiece without a quality canvas. The importance of a rental application is often misunderstood and cannot be stressed enough! Don’t…