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The safest way to screen an applicant is to obtain accurate information. Avoid fraudulent applications, do not accept reports supplied to you by prospective renters or employees. Have each and every adult applicant neatly fill out a complete and professional Rental Application.
(Please feel free to download the complementary rental and employment applications we have provided for this purpose on the free applications page of this site).
Review the application upon submission, make sure the information is complete and legible. It is mandatory to have the full name, social security number, and the complete current or previous address including the zip code of the prospective renter/employee/applicant in order to run an credit report. Additionally, a drivers license number and date of birth are needed for criminal record and DMV reports and previous addresses are beneficial for eviction reports.
Ask for a photo I.D., and compare it to the submitted application. Collect any documentation that supports additional income. Compare addresses and information on the credit report to those on the application.
Verify current employment information, and previous residence information by written documentation only. Ask for a bank statement. (There is no confidential information on a bank statement that doesn't appear on banking transactions.) Avoid verifying applicant information by phone, especially those references provided by the applicant. Request all collaborating documentation in writing.
Do not take a rental deposit from any applicant before verifying their references. It is not uncommon for the most likable and communicative applicant to have a terrible payment history and horrible credit habits. Use caution, especially from applicants who wish placement quickly without documentation, a verbal agreement, or want to give you a large amount of cash upfront in lieu of verification.
Any respectable applicant will be able to provide positive documentation. Don't leave anything to chance. If the reference information does not meet your criteria, order an eviction or criminal records. It's better to learn of these things before a tenant moves in.
More landlords today are commonly ordering criminal record on their potential applicants, and results suggest that landlords will soon request criminal records as standard information when reviewing prospective rental applicants in the near future.
Remember, it is legal to charge each applicant a reasonable screening fee so you may recuperate your expenses incurred in verifying their references when considering them. (Landlords in California for example, regularly charge between $25.00 and $50.00 per applicant.)
Don't feel pressured into making an instant decision no matter how good your applicants first impression has been, if needed C.C.B. will promptly check your prospective applicants references professionally in less than 24 hours. Reference Verification also includes an eviction record, a County and Federal criminal records, and complete verification with the critical documentation you need to make a definitive decision on your prospective applicant(s). Employment verification include a County and Federal criminal records verification and comprehensive reference verification including past employment history
Finally, familiarize yourself with the requirements and laws of the FCRA. Remember the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Good luck with your applicants
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3 Easy Steps to Ordering
In order to access information for prospective applicant screening, you must agree to use the services of C.C.B. for the sole purpose of prospective applicant screening. By agreeing to this document, you release C.C.B. from any litigation or damages arising from supplying applicant information to you and further agree to comply and abide by the statutes of the FCRA and the Access Security Requirements. Information received will not be given to the prospective applicant, given, altered, or resold to anyone else, and to the best of your ability kept in a secure and confidential location. Any person who knowingly and willfully obtains information on a individual from a consumer agency under false pretenses shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.
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