When you’re renting out your house or your apartment to a tenant, a background check is an essential part of the process. That said, if you had the urge to Google “how to run a tenant background check,” you’re already ahead of the curve.
Checking the background of a tenant gives you a thorough look at the person you’re renting your home to. This detailed report could include everything relevant to answer all of the concerns you may have, like a person’s criminal records and their rental history. This process can help you select the best tenant for your home.
If you don’t carry out a background check, you could be putting the safety of your home at risk. Because of this factor alone, renting out your home in the future might become a problem. So, if you’re considering getting one, start by following the steps listed below.
Step 1
Get Their Consent
It might seem legal since you’re practically going to live with them, but it is illegal to run a background check on a person if you don’t have their consent. Several rent applications have verbiage which clarifies that the tenant has given their permission for the background check.
However, if you’ve already signed a rental agreement without getting them to sign the consent form, you’ll have to use a separate release form. Doing this can ensure that the tenant does not have to go through the whole procedure to give their consent.
Once you’re done with this, you can move to the next step.
Step 2
Googling Won’t Hurt
Googling a person’s name isn’t a crime, but it sure can tell you a lot about a person if they’re famous, and that’s exactly what we want. Google the potential tenant’s name and add different words with every search query.
The words you add can be:
- Mug Shot
- Sex offender
- Arrest
Sounds like a pessimistic approach to a background check, right? That’s exactly what a background check is supposed to be. Even though random people don’t make it to national television for doing something good, they definitely do have a news article written on them if they do something bad!
A quick Google search can also give you an idea of the common problems landlords face when they rent out their property to a person.
Step 3
Use a Tenant Screening Service
And when all else fails, let the professionals take care of the task. You don’t need to find something you won’t like about your tenant on their Facebook profile or Google. That is when experts at EGA Process Serving can help your cause. Whether you’re trying to understand if your tenant is a good person or if they’ll be able to pay the rent you’re demanding, we’ve got it all covered!
While you focus on making your house look pretty, we will ensure that you can trust your tenants. Get in touch with us today by calling 301-793-4336 or by sending us a secure message via our website.