When you’re thinking about tenant screening, remember that it’s better for landlords to wait for the right tenant than to quickly place a bad tenant. Properly screening a tenant is very important. A common reason that landlords ignore thorough screening is that they feel the stress of having to make a mortgage payment, and they need to have rent coming in as soon as possible. There might also be a property management company that’s rushing because they want to get a tenant in place so they can start collecting their management fee. It’s better to take your time, screen well and get a good tenant.
Defining a Good Tenant
Waiting for the right tenant means searching for a person who will make payments on time, take better care of your house and stay in the property longer. Finding this tenant is worth the wait so you aren’t stuck replacing damaged carpet and paint or chasing down late rent checks.
Credit Checks
When you’re screening your tenants, there are three or four specific things that you need to pay attention to. A credit check is important because you’ll get an idea of whether they pay their bills on time. The credit history will tell you if creditors are trying to collect overdue debts.
Criminal Background
A criminal background check will tell you if there’s a chance that the tenants will conduct any illegal activities in your property. Find out if there are any warrants out for their arrest before you agree to have them move into your home.
National Eviction Records
With a prospective tenant’s social security number, you can run a national eviction check to find out if they have ever been evicted from a rental property in the past. You’ll get information on any judgments or court actions that have been taken by previous landlords. 
Take the time to interview potential tenants and get a feeling for whether or not they would be successful in your property. Screening well to get the right tenants in place will save you money in the long run.
If you have any questions about how to effectively screen tenants, please contact us at Property Solutions of Utah.
