| Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved Charles E. Marunde & FreeRealEstateLaw.com |
| Screening Tenants |
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Having purchased rentals, managed rentals, and having drafted hundreds of
rental agreements and performed many evictions for clients over the past 19
years, I can tell you without qualification that screening tenants is the key to
avoiding litigation or even major headaches that are common.
Screening is certainly no panacea, but in about 98% of all cases that I have
personally seen, effective screening would have eliminated an unqualified
prospective tenant. The nightmare would never have occurred.
As with much of real estate investing, it's not rocket science, but there is some
science to it, mostly practical steps that you should master and implement
EVERY SINGLE TIME. When Landlords make exceptions to the screening
process, because "He seemed like such a nice guy," they often get into big
trouble. You know the keys here, but let's review them.
As I am typing these keys, I laughed out loud, because as obvious as these are,
as basic as they are for any Landlord, it is the very large number of Landlords
who ignore one or more of these keys that causes so much anguish for
Landlords and so much profit for attorneys.
rental agreements and performed many evictions for clients over the past 19
years, I can tell you without qualification that screening tenants is the key to
avoiding litigation or even major headaches that are common.
Screening is certainly no panacea, but in about 98% of all cases that I have
personally seen, effective screening would have eliminated an unqualified
prospective tenant. The nightmare would never have occurred.
As with much of real estate investing, it's not rocket science, but there is some
science to it, mostly practical steps that you should master and implement
EVERY SINGLE TIME. When Landlords make exceptions to the screening
process, because "He seemed like such a nice guy," they often get into big
trouble. You know the keys here, but let's review them.
- Get a complete Questionnaire Completed;
- Actually Call the Three References;
- Call the Last Landlord;
- Actually Call to Confirm Their Employment;
- Actually Order and Review Their Credit Report;
- Actually Interview Them Face-to-Face;
- Actually Get a Deposit or First and Last, or both.
As I am typing these keys, I laughed out loud, because as obvious as these are,
as basic as they are for any Landlord, it is the very large number of Landlords
who ignore one or more of these keys that causes so much anguish for
Landlords and so much profit for attorneys.
| These practical steps are Preventive Law at its best. Do these things, and you will reduce the need to pay lawyers a lot of money. |