Investing in rental properties is a great way to substantiate income and also a good way to keep a retirement home occupied until you are ready to make it your own! But when you have a tenant from hell renting from you, it could be catastrophic; costing you thousands of dollars. Everyone has heard a few horror stories from time to time. A tenant refusing to pay rent and legally it takes you months to get them evicted. Or perhaps they pay rent, sort of, but they completely trash your home and property; leaving you with quite a bill to repair and replace. No matter the story, you want respectful, responsible tenants renting your property.

Advanced Private Investigator and Security of Miami FL would like to offer some advice on avoiding the potential bad tenant to better protect your investment.

1. Application and ID’s. You want your rental unit to be occupied by qualified tenants. Have an application prepared so you know exactly who wants to rent your rental property.
Include the following on your application for thoroughness:
 Full names and any previously used aliases, include maiden names.
 Birth date.
 Social Security Number.
 Make sure you have the top 3 information for all adult tenants.
 Current address, and the previous 2 addresses. Be sure to include the landlord’s names, contact information, previous monthly rent amount and reason for leaving.
 Previous employment of the last 2 jobs, as well as current employment. And include monthly salary.
 Any other income to consider.
 Monthly expenses, such as car payments, student loans, credit card bills etc.
 Retain a copy of their driver’s license or State issue ID.
 3 referral contacts, including phone numbers.
 Emergency contact with phone number.
 A signed consent authorizing the landlord and his professionals to perform a comprehensive Background Check.

2. Get a background check and credit checks. You are well within your rights to know who is renting your property and can understand the individual better with a routine background and credit check. Performing a credit check and a background check can help you weed out the undesired tenants.
Credit Check Notes:
– If a candidate claims not to have any credit history, that could be a red flag; and a better avoided situation. Not knowing if a tenants has a history of paying on time or in full could mean trouble down the road.
– If the credit report comes back with large gaps in the history, be sure to double check information with the tenant. Where this could be a ligament candidate, it could also be an indication that the applicant used false information, such as a wrong name, birth date or social security number. Protect yourself and get a clear understanding of the individual wanting to rent your property.
– Include the cost of the background and credit check in your application fee.
3. Call the references included on the application, as well as the previous landlords. Often, too many landlords are content in just knowing the applicant bothered to list references and go no further. Call the references and ask the pertinent questions. Keep in mind; friends and family may not be forthcoming if the applicant has a spotty past. Trust your instincts and consider the background and credit check when making your decision.

4. Get an “eviction history report” to find out if the applicants have been evicted previously. Advanced Private Investigator and Security of Miami FL has the knowledge and training of performing a background check, and provide you with a detailed report. Call us today for your inquiries!