Real Estate Community Forum

I have had a terrible experiences with past tenants who did not pay their rent on time and some just didn't pay at all. I don't want to go through this experience again and I was wondering if anyone knows of any places online that helps landlords screen their tenant? Are these online sites free or is there a fee? Are there any other places besides the internet to find information on perspective tenants?

You would be amazed at all the information you can find on people through the internet. If you have someone who is looking at your apartment and want to find some information on them without asking, I simply Google their name online. Sometimes you'll find out information such as if they are a member of a government group or if they wrote up a research study for a hospital or school. Usually this information is just for fun. There are places online that provide more in depth information, but you must pay a fee. I never tried it, so I don't know if it's worth it.

I don't trust any of the information that I find online. Sometimes, if you Google someone's name you will notice there are thousands of other people what have the same name so how do you know if your looking at the right person? If you want information from a perspective tenant just ask them. If they don't want to answer your questions, chances are they are hiding something so that should indicate they might not be a good tenant. To me, this is the best way to analyze a tenant rather than playing detective online.

While there are multiple Google searches and free databases you can search on a potential tenant, most results are likely outdated. Some individual counties will keep up-to-date online criminal records that are free to access, but they seem to be few and far between. You can check with your county and surrounding counties to see if this service is available.

Your other option is to go to a tenant screening service. My company, AdvantageTenant.com, provides tenant credit checks, criminal background checks, eviction reports, sex offender search, employment verification and other reports either individually or as a package. All pricing is on the site.

In all fairness, there are many other companies who do this. Feel free to check them out as well.

It seems that most landlords and property managers believe that the credit report is the most predictive tool for assessing a tenant, but they also run a criminal or eviction check to cover their liability.

Hope this helps.