Advice on a Background Check for Landlords

A background check for landlords is used as part of the screening process for potential tenants. The background check consists of searching the background of a potential tenant to see if there have been any crimes committed against previous landlords such as destruction of property, harassment of other tenants or nonpayment of rent. Landlords use background checks to determine if a potential tenant is suitable to rent their property.

Some landlords perform full background checks that include past and present employment history and financial history. The thought process is that if the tenant does not have a job or has a bad credit history they may not be able to afford the rent on their property.

Many landlords also run a tenant credit report to see if a potential or current tenant is behind on their bills. If the tenant or potential tenant has a bad credit history many landlords will not permit them to rent their property. If you are a property owner and are considering renting out your property, you can find out more about the tenant screening process. They perform various types of background checks and specialize in background checks for landlords. Many websites offer free or discount background checks for first time customers. You can also search online to find out how to run background checks yourself and what information you need from a potential tenant. Be advised that the fee for background checks varies from one company to another so be sure to shop around to find the most inexpensive fee.