Surprise, surprise. That information was definitely helpful.<\/p>\n
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By searching social networks, you might also discover information about their current living situation, roommates, or whether they complain all the time. Or maybe they seem just as great as they did in person and on their application.<\/p>\n
Another option for using social networks for learning more about your applicant is by looking for mutual friends or acquaintances and getting their opinion. In larger areas this may not work as well, but in small towns, most people are connected in some way or another.<\/p>\n
If you notice your applicant is also mutual friends with \u201cSarah,\u201d an old friend from high school, consider shooting Sarah a message asking if she knows anything about the applicant that would be helpful in making an informed decision about their tenancy. Remember, the point of all this is to learn as much about the prospective tenant as possible before approving them so you can make an informed decision.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s nothing like approving your new tenant only to discover too late that you made a horrible error.<\/p>\n
Related:<\/strong> 4 Old School Tenant Screening Tips That Still Hold True For Modern Landlords<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Almost everything you\u2019ve ever done publicly in your life is chronicled somewhere on the internet. The same is true of your applicant. As of this writing, the best source for searching the internet is, of course, Google. Searching Google for a tenant\u2019s name is helpful for discovering little known facts about the applicant\u2019s life.<\/p>\n You can also try combining the applicant\u2019s name with their city or county to narrow your search. You\u2019ll most likely get all sorts of information by Googling a person\u2019s name, but you are looking for information that specifically tells you a little more about the applicant, such as whether they were recently in the county\u2019s jail roster or have been involved in lawsuits.<\/p>\n To search Google, try entering their name within quotation marks, which causes the search to be narrowed down to only the the applicant\u2019s full name, or what you entered within the quotations. For example, entering \u201cJohn Smith\u201d will only show you results for \u201cJohn Smith,\u201d whereas entering John Smith without quotations will show you results for anything containing the name \u201cJohn\u201d and anything containing \u201cSmith.\u201d Using quotation marks will significantly narrow your search.<\/p>\n Curious about how your prospective applicant will take care of your home should you approve them? A look at their current residence should give you a pretty good idea.<\/p>\n Consider driving by or even paying them a visit at their home to get a good look at how much care they show (or don\u2019t) to their yard maintenance, housekeeping, and general cleanliness. If they live like slobs now or their lawn is two feet tall, that\u2019s not going to change anytime soon.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>12 Tips I\u2019ve Learned From Screening Close to 500 Prospective Tenants<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Once you have processed your applicant\u2019s application, you should have everything you need to either accept or deny them tenancy. If they have met your minimum standards for qualification and exhibit traits of dependability, reliability, and responsibility, you\u2019re off to a great start. If they have failed to meet your minimum standards of what you are looking for in a tenant, you will most likely deny them tenancy and wait for someone more qualified.<\/p>\n [ This excerpt was taken from <\/em>The Book on Managing Rental Properties<\/a>, which gives investors valuable information on everything from screening tenants to managing everyday issues \u2014 and everything else you need to know for successful buy and hold investing. ]<\/em><\/p>\n2. Google<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n3. Drive by Unexpectedly<\/h2>\n
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