Screening - The other fun stuff...

Screening of potential residents doesn't just stop at the report (credit, background, eviction, etc). In order to properly screen a potential resident, it's imperative to also check on their job status, verify income & talk to their current & previous landlords to see if they've been good tenants. When I call to verify the employment, I always make sure that I call the employer at the number I find in the phone book or Google instead of the number provided by the applicant - this is essential to making sure I'm actually talking to the correct person instead of a friend posing as an employer reference. I can't always get an exact income figure, but usually they'll give me an income range for the applicant's position. The income is very important for obvious reasons, but I also like to make sure there's plenty of disposable income in addition to rent. 3x the monthly rent is a good number to use as a minimum guideline. This helps to avoid the "my car broke down and I don't have rent" scenario. When talking to current or previous landlords, I ask all sorts of questions that a current or previous landlord should know (i.e. rent amount, how long they've lived or did live at the place, etc). If a landlord doesn't know the answer to this, it's potentially a friend or acquaintance who is posing as a landlord for reference purposes. The verification process in addition to the report(s) makes all the difference in starting a positive renting experience with your resident.