Tenant screening
Both tenants and landlords have contractual responsibility to each other. Unnecessary problems can be prevented by having an understanding of those responsibilities prior to signing a lease agreement. We screen your tenants according to standards that directly benefit owners and tenants. Matching a qualified tenant to a property that serves their needs is a step in the right direction.
Good tenants want to live in surroundings that afford them a good lifestyle. Effective screening minimizes the risk of renting to tenants that are not an asset to the community where they live, i.e., noisy, unruly, compromising the safety of other tenants, criminal activity, etc. It's much more profitable when landlords have responsible tenants that contribute positively to the local environment. We review these four key factors closely when screening potential tenants.
Good tenants want to live in surroundings that afford them a good lifestyle. Effective screening minimizes the risk of renting to tenants that are not an asset to the community where they live, i.e., noisy, unruly, compromising the safety of other tenants, criminal activity, etc. It's much more profitable when landlords have responsible tenants that contribute positively to the local environment. We review these four key factors closely when screening potential tenants.
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1. Credit
We always look at an applicant's credit report to determine the number of credit lines they have open and how often they’ve made late payments. Collection accounts, liens and bankruptcies are important red flags. We carefully evaluate tenants with short sales and foreclosures on their record. Taken by itself, it doesn’t mean they will be bad tenants; it can simply mean they have derogatory information on their credit report which may prove to be an exception, rather than the rule. That is where other factors are taken into consideration. |
2. Rental history
Reviewing rental history is important because a tenant’s past behavior is indicative of how they’ll behave when they live in your property. We contact current and prior landlords to verify the length of tenancy and the amount of rent they paid. Prior evictions will disqualify the tenant immediately. We want to make sure the tenant was not struggling to afford a low rent and then want to move into your property, which might require a higher amount of rent. We want to ensure they can afford what you want to charge. |
3. Employment
We ask applicants for income verification and contact their current employer to verify employment start date and salary. We want to be sure that the information on the application is accurate. We have access to tax records that help us verify the actual owner of the property they’re living in and make an effort to confirm that past utility payments are current. We consider tax returns, pay stubs and employment verification as screening tools and follow current privacy laws to protect both their information and yours. |
4. Home visit
When possible, we perform a visit to the tenant's current place of residence. At the end of the screening process, the Brunson Property Management team makes every effort to do the final lease agreement signing in the tenant's home. This allows us one final opportunity to view in person the environment they currently live. Of course, people will always put their “best foot forward,” but this last step lets us evaluate an applicant's general living habits. It speaks volumes regarding what you can expect from a new tenant. |
Good tenant screening requires good investigation. We look as carefully as possible, because we as the property manager are affected as much as a property owner by a nonqualified tenant.
