"He had no problem with the first and last month's rent, it was all the months in-between he couldn't pay."

The importance of a tenant screening report can not be overstated. A tenant screening report will either confirm your impressions or expose undetected false statements in an application.

A complete tenant screening report is a compilation of several data bases:

1. A credit profile provided by one of the three national credit bureaus. A basic credit report will show the amount of debt, payment history and credit derogatories for a prospective tenant. In some cases it may confirm the address history, social security number and place of employment.
   
   
2. Public Records - tax liens, civil judgments, and bankruptcies.
   
   
3. Address History - previous addresses your applicant has lived along with any delinquent or property damage caused during the tenancy.
   
   
4. Eviction and “skip” history - eviction judgments for possession only, possession and restitution, eviction filings (when permissible) and non-payment of rent and “skipping out” without court action.
   
   
5. Driver License Verification and Banking Habits - available on many tenant screening reports this feature cross references the applicants drivers license number with his check writing habits. A negative history or writing bad checks, bouncing checks or closed account will give you additional insight as to your applicant’s character.

Obtain a screening report on every applicant, roommates, husbands and wives, and cosigners. A screening report on every applicant provides an independent and affordable cross check to the information provided by the prospective tenant. A screening report is the most affordable insurance against a potentially deadbeat tenant.

Selecting a tenant screening company is as important as selecting the right tenant. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of tenant screening providers throughout the United States. Pricing, response time, data base access and customer support vary widely. When selecting a company, look for a nationwide eviction database and rapid response time. A local eviction/skip database may not provide sufficient background information on a tenant moving in from out of the area. A rapid response is just good business. You don’t want to make a prospective tenant wait so long that they may look elsewhere.

At TenantAlert, screening reports are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our eviction/skip/property damage database is the largest in the country. As a joint venture with RENT RECOVERY SERVICE, First American Information Reporting, and Delinquent Tenant Cooperative, no other report offers more tenant history verification than TenantAlert.

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