How to Screen Tenants
Screening potential tenants is one of the most important tasks a landlord performs. Thorough screening is vital: It will help you weed out problematic applicants who are unlikely to pay rent on time or who might destroy your property. But the screening process can be fraught with legal pitfalls, too—landlords need to take steps to avoid illegal discrimination and ensure that they follow all laws regarding accepting and rejecting applicants.
Check tenants' credit and avoid legal trouble over discrimination.
Private credit reporting agencies collect and sell credit files and other information about consumers.
Antidiscrimination laws limit the tenants you can accept and reject.
Whether and how landlords can use information from an existing or prospective tenant’s criminal history was the subject of an April 3, 2016 “guidance” memo from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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