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Managing Your Property

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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
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What do you use for background checks

Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
Posted Nov 8 2022, 17:15

Hello

I would like to know what you use to do your background checks for prospect tenants. Also how much do you charge. Our realtor let us use his background check software and I’m not to happy with it. It’s actually hard to read and understand. 
also please let me know the steps you take for background checks. 
we have 6 tenants and one is a bad one that’s not paying and I don’t want to go through this again if I don’t have to. 
Thank you in advance 

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Nate Sanow
Pro Member
  • I​nvestor & Agent
  • Tulsa, OK
1,156
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Nate Sanow
Pro Member
  • I​nvestor & Agent
  • Tulsa, OK
Replied Nov 8 2022, 17:49

Zillow and then some google searches, we have a website called OSCN I think it’s just for my state each state has a version I think. Anyway it shows any criminal records etc. True people search also helps verify where they lived. It’s more like verifying the Zillow Rental Manager app. If you are DIY PM and 1-10 doors I think it works fine.

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Eliott Elias#3 BRRRR - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Contributor
  • Investor
  • Austin, TX
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Eliott Elias#3 BRRRR - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Contributor
  • Investor
  • Austin, TX
Replied Nov 8 2022, 20:22

Go4rent

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Joe Norman
  • Investor, Realtor
  • Baltimore, MD
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Joe Norman
  • Investor, Realtor
  • Baltimore, MD
Replied Nov 9 2022, 06:16

RentSpree is another good place for background checks that is publicly available.

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Khalid Bryan
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Khalid Bryan
  • Real Estate Broker
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL
Replied Nov 9 2022, 06:24

Hi Dondi, I use Rentspree. I used to use MySmartMove by TransUnion. Hope this helps!

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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
8
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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
Replied Nov 9 2022, 09:51

Thank you! 

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Adam Martin
  • Rental Property Investor
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Adam Martin
  • Rental Property Investor
Replied Nov 9 2022, 09:56

I like Rentprep with the judgement and lien addon for 47/adult paid by the applicant but I have an option to pay if I want to.  I used to use Zillow but didn't feel it was very detailed, it told me if a tenant had missed payments but now when or how much.  Rentprep pulls a tradeline and you can see the history of payments, the minimum amount due on open lines, and how far they have gotten behind.  Credit numbers alone don't tell the story I'm looking for, there are plenty of folks I rent to that had issues a few years ago through divorce or medical debts but have been fine since and these tradelines help me either verify the story or call BS.  

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Replied Nov 9 2022, 11:43

@Dondi Sanchez Avail.co is very reliable. 

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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
8
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43
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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
Replied Nov 9 2022, 11:58

Thank you very helpful

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Joe Martella
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Cherry Hill, NJ
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Joe Martella
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Cherry Hill, NJ
Replied Nov 10 2022, 04:02

TurboTenant

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Pat L.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Upstate, NY
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Pat L.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Upstate, NY
Replied Nov 10 2022, 04:40

We NOW use rent prep, yet some of our 'most difficult' tenants were well qualified & had screened so well. Drugs, divorce, tenant share splits & the sudden appearance of a destructive dog/child are a common theme. It's tough to screen out the human frailty factor, but the inherited tenant is usually a 50/50 crap shoot. 

Middle aged single women with at least 2 cats are NOW our favorite tenants & we have 8.

Then again, after 40+ years we could count our bad tenants on one hand.

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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
8
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43
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Dondi Sanchez
  • Oviedo, FL
Replied Nov 10 2022, 05:20

Thank you everyone. This forum is always very helpful

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Nick Barlow
  • Warsaw, IN
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Nick Barlow
  • Warsaw, IN
Replied Nov 10 2022, 06:01

@Dondi Sanchez RentPrep has a service with all legal paperwork the tenant signs prior to submission.

I used it a couple of times in 2018 and 2019 with no complaints.

Grew big enough for PM to make sense for my situation, and been using them since.

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Becca F.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • San Francisco Bay Area
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Becca F.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • San Francisco Bay Area
Replied Nov 12 2022, 09:57

My property manager uses My Smart Move, for my tenants and his own tenants. He charges the tenants for the background check or includes it in the application fee. It was a few years that he rented out my property to my current tenants. I can find out the exact amount he charged them or what he currently charges for background checks. 

https://www.mysmartmove.com

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Replied Feb 3 2023, 06:00
For those of you using Rent Prep, are you not adding on the income verification for $10?