How To Do A Background Check On Possible Tenant In Pennsylvania?

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It's important for you every bit a landlord to know who you are renting to before you rent out your property. Checking into a potential tenant'due south background tin reveal problems and reduce the risk of having to remove (evict) a tenant or brand costly repairs later they take gone. With a prospective tenant's background data at manus, you're able to make informed decisions to allow this person to rent your property.

1
Require potential tenants to complete a rental application. You tin obtain sample rental applications online^[1] or from your local real estate clan.^[2] The awarding will furnish you lot with all the necessary information to conduct a background check and assess whether the applicant would be a good tenant. The rental application should ask for:
- the applicant's total name, social security number, date of birth, contact information, and driver's license number and country of issue (likewise, brand a copy of license).
- current and previous addresses, dates of residence, contact information for current and former landlords.
- current income, dates of electric current and by employment, the names and contact information of current and former employers.
- banking and credit references for a credit bank check.
- contact information for 3 personal references.
2
Request potential tenants complete a credit study say-so form. ^[3] ^[4] Section 604 of the Off-white Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires landlords to enquire permission to perform a credit bank check.^[v] In guild to comply with the FCRA, you must take a completed credit report authorization course before obtaining an applicant'southward credit report.
- If a potential tenant refuses to sign a credit report authorization form and allow for a credit bank check, you can deny him or her the ability to rent the property.^[6]
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iii
Interview the applicant in person. This is someone that you could interact with frequently, from paying the hire to addressing maintenance concerns, and you want to make sure they are friendly and respectful and that y'all are comfortable with them as a tenant.^[seven] During the interview ask of potential tenants:
- Why are they moving?
- Do they have any pets and are they housebroken?
- Practise they smoke? Indoors or outside?
- Who else will be living with them at present or in the future?
- Do they accept any friends or relatives who frequently spend the night?
- What is their typical work day like? Do they work nights?
- Tin they pay the first month'due south rent and security eolith earlier moving in? ^[eight] ^[9]

1
Obtain credit reports for the bidder. A credit report will assist you place tenants who are financially stable and reliable. On the credit report, yous will see information about any foreclosures, bankruptcies, unlawful detainer lawsuits and evictions.^[10] Each credit company will provide a credit score for the tenant demonstrating the financial reliability of the applicant. A typical credit score required for renting an apartment is over 620.^[11]
- Credit reports tin can be obtained online from the three major credit reporting bureaus (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) by setting upward an business relationship online and following the instructions for making a asking. ^[12]
- If you deny an applicant considering of negative information on a credit report, you must send the applicant an "adverse action" letter, which informs the applicant of three things: the reason for rejection, the proper name and accost of the agency that reported the negative information and, the applicant's right to obtain a free copy of the report by requesting it from that agency inside 60 days.^[13]
2
Pull a background bank check on your applicant from a verified tenant screening company. The background cheque volition show a number of things like any criminal record, including running the name on the sex offender database, whether he or she always damaged whatever property and whether they paid rent on time. You lot desire to discover honest dominion-following tenants, and this will help you identify them.
- Under the FCRA, y'all must use an approved Consumer Reporting Agency to obtain a groundwork check on a potential tenant. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has compiled a listing of approved CRAs for tenant screening. ^[14]
- Tenant background checks can run anywhere from $20 to $50, depending on the items selected to screen.^[15]
- You can request tenants to pay an awarding fee that volition comprehend the toll of the background and credit checks.
iii
Contact the applicant'south employer. This is an opportunity for you to verify that the employment and income information the applicant supplied is true and decide if the potential tenant is able to pay the rent. For example, ask:
- Is the person employed by you, and for what length of time?
- Does the person earn a fixed salary?
- Is this a full-fourth dimension or part-fourth dimension job?
- What is the person'due south electric current wage?^[16]
4
Contact the bidder's previous landlords. This is your take a chance to demystify the bidder. Previous landlords can tell you almost the person as a tenant. Ask them:
- When and how long did the person rent a property from yous?
- Did they pay the rent on time?
- Did they break the lease agreement in anyway?
- Did they cause any property impairment?
- Were in that location any complaints from other tenants or neighbors?
- Why did the lease end?
- Would y'all rent to this person once more? ?^[17]
v
Contact the applicant'due south personal references. Though friends and family will have some bias toward the applicant, they have besides known him or her for many years and volition be able to inform you nigh the bidder every bit person, providing information about their graphic symbol, demeanor and fashion. Ask these references:
- How long they have known the applicant?
- Do they deem the person to be reliable?
- Would they recommend this person equally a tenant to a landlord?^[18]

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There are Federal laws that prohibit bigotry when choosing tenants. Y'all cannot discriminate based on several factors, including race, religion, age, gender and/or disability.^[19]
Though yous can obtain sample rental applications and credit study authorization forms online, it is best to consult with an chaser who specializes in landlord-tenant/holding law to ensure that your documents embrace everything you lot need and comply with the law.

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The information provided above constitutes general information related to the law. It does not constitute legal advice.
If yous are seeking legal advice, you should consult a lawyer.

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Article Summary X

As a landlord, it's important to check your tenant's background to make sure they'll pay you on fourth dimension and treat your belongings right. Ask them to complete an application including details of their previous landlords and personal references. On the class, ask for their permission to run a credit check, which is a legal requirement. You tin can download a sample awarding form online. You can also interview the potential tenant and enquire them things like why they're moving, if they work nights, and if they often have other people staying with them. This volition give yous an idea of what the tenant will be like. Once yous have their information, order a groundwork check from a screening company, which will tell y'all if they have whatever criminal history. So, contact their employer and previous landlords to make sure they're honest and reliable. For more tips from our Legal co-author, including how to admission a tenant's credit study, read on!

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