Tenant screening in Burbank can be a challenging task especially for a new landlord or inexperienced property manager. When it comes to tenant screening, running background and credit check is not enough, there are a lot of actions and things you need to do to ensure you are getting the right tenants.
Simply checking tenants’ source of income and statement of account isn’t enough. In some cases, you will find out the hard way that you made a terrible mistake during the screening process. In fact, experienced property managers in Los Angeles know that not every warning signs are too obvious. Thus, if you are a new property manager or landlord, you are going to benefit hugely from this article as you will learn tenants screening warning signs that are not too obvious. Keep on reading:
Top 5 Tenants Screening Warning Signs That Are Not Too Obvious
- A Request To Skip The Formal Tenant Screening
As one of the biggest property management companies in Los Angeles, we have seen this situation a lot of times. There are cases where a potential tenant will ask you to skip the formal tenant screening process because he is in a hurry to move in and ready to pay you whatever you want. In most cases, it turned out that these tenants have something they are hiding.
When a tenant asks to skip the screening process, it is always a red flag and you should be wary of such tenant. Make sure you conduct criminal history check, credit check, as well as eviction check.
- Too Eager To Give You Their Credit Report
In some cases, a tenant may be too eager to give you his credit report directly. You should be suspicious of such tenant. In some cases, the tenant may have tampered with the document or he will give you an outdated document. Let the tenant know that you don’t accept credit report directly, instead, you will receive it form a consumer reporting agency.
- Too Many Jobs Within a Short Period of Time
If your tenant is switching jobs too quickly, it is a big sign of instability. The fact is that anyone who frequently switches job may have the need to break the lease early. In fact, he may turn out to be unreliable and even have an unstable income. Make sure you verify the employment history of such a tenant and ensure he can honor the contract on the lease.
- Moving Too Often
Certainly, you will need to think twice before renting your home to an applicant who moves too often. Find out why the applicant is always moving. It may be that he usually has problems with his landlords. In that case, it is important that yu avoid such an applicant. You need to check such an applicant thoroughly. More so, it is important that you require a fee for breaking the lease and at least, a minimum of 30 days’ notice for leaving early.
- In a Hurry to Move In
We have seen this situation so many times. When an applicant is in hurry to move, it usually turns out that he has something to hide and he wants to move in before you have a chance to discover it. If an applicant is in a hurry to move in, make sure you find out the reason why he is in hurry. However, make sure you complete your entire tenant screening process before you allow such a tenant move into your property.