Managing Tenant screening through a property manager or real estate agent

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Managing Tenant screening through a property manager or real estate agent

Paul Hector
Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2013 · 53 posts · 7 votes

If you are using a property manager or real estate agent to manage your property and provide tenant screening, what is the minimum info they should be providing to support their tenant recommendations?

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  • Sharad M.Pro Member
    Carlsbad, CA · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    12y

    Hi Paul,

    You should ask them for their tenant screening criteria. But this is what I look for my tenants:

    1) Gross income 3 times the monthly rent

    2) No eviction in last 7 years

    3) No serious criminal record in last 7 years (parking tickets etc are okay)

    4) I review their credit report to see if they have outstanding utility bills or any other house related bills

    5) No rent related judgment against them

    6) Limit of maximum number of people in a unit

    7) No pets

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  • Paul Hector
    OP
    Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2013 · 53 posts · 7 votes
    12y

    Hello Sharad,

    Thank you for your reply! We applied the criteria shortlisted the applicants and signed a lease with one of them!

    Thanks for your help.

    Paul

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  • Dusty Corning
    Sugar Land, TX · Member since 2014 · 6 posts · 1 vote
    12y
    Sharad M. Thanks for sharing your criteria. Do you have a minimum credit score criteria? What if they don't have any housing related bad credit, but the rest of their bills are late?
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  • Sharad M.Pro Member
    Carlsbad, CA · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    12y

    @Paul Hector Congratulations!! If you stick to a tenant screening criteria upfront, then it will save you a lot of headaches down the road.

    @Dusty Corning

    The service that I use doesn't provide a credit score.

    When I run the reports, I usually see late medical bills, student loans, parking tickets, etc, which I am okay with. But I don't like seeing a tenant who hasn't paid their utility bill.

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