All Forum Posts by: Jenifer Kynor

Hi Preston,

I worked in student housing and we always did separate leases and separate security deposits. In our lease it stated something along the lines of "Tenant is responsible for damages in individual bedroom/bathroom. All damages in common area are to be spit equally." Unless one tenant fully takes responsibility for something breaking, just split it three ways. I found people to be much more happy with it being an individual lease and not having to worry about their roommates ability to pay rent. We also split up utilities equally and added that to their bill so all payments were the individual's responsibility. 

I hope this helps!

Screen Tenants Quickly & Easily

Are you unsure how to screen tenants appropriately or just don’t have the time to deal with proper screening? TurboTenant provides Free Tenant Screening Reports to landlords, giving you a full picture of potential renters. Through a partnership with TransUnion, TurboTenant provides full credit, criminal, and eviction history reports on every applicant so you can better decide who the right tenants for your property are.

TurboTenant is revolutionizing the rental process by providing savvy landlords with cutting-edge technology that’s intuitive, powerful, and designed to save landlords time and increase profits. Landlording is not something to fear, which is why we believe that every property owner should have the tools to manage their properties easily.

There are no more excuses for renting to bad tenants! Start using our free Tenant Screening reports today and experience how much easier being a landlord can be when you use TurboTenant!

Hi Sachin,

I definitely would not rent to anyone if you didn't feel comfortable with their credit score. You're right it is better to leave the place empty then to suffer through the eviction process. It is best to stick at a number you are most comfortable with. 

The company I work for considers above a 560 as an approval recommendation for landlords. If you are comfortable with approving someone with a score under 700,  suggestions I have would to try to better understand their credit report by asking questions. For example;  Do they pay late on their credit cards or do they have old bill in collections they are currently working on paying off?  You could also ask for more of a security deposit. 

Whatever you decide to do, just follow your gut feeling and set your criteria at something you feel good about and are comfortable with. 

Good luck!

Hi Grant, 

Just like many others said, take your time screening. Before you start marketing your property, write out a clear list of qualifications (income, credit, criminal, evictions, etc). Stick to them! Make sure to call their place of employment and previous landlords (not the current landlord they have now). Also, screen everyone that will be living in the home above the age of 18. 

Once you start looking for tenants, I would stick to only marketing your property online. No signs in the front yard or anything. There are online services out there that will market your property to all of the major listing sites for free. Take advantage of free software like that! It will really help out, especially as you're getting started. 

If you need any suggestions for a tenant screening service or marketing, please let me know! 

Hi Mariam,

The best platforms to post your rental ads are with software that syndicates it to a large quantity of listing sites. The more eyes on your listing, the better. The main ones to focus on are Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, Rent.com, and Craigslist. However, there are many smaller listing sites I've seen many renters find listings on, but that most landlords haven't really thought about before posting on before. That's why I recommend searching for a software that you upload all of your property information on and it will take care of the marketing to all of those listing sites; big and small. 

Please feel free to reach out to me if you need any suggestions!

Protect yourself and your rental from a disaster. 

TurboTenant is revolutionizing the rental process by providing savvy landlords with cutting-edge technology that’s intuitive, powerful, and designed to save landlords time and increase profits. Landlording is not something to fear, which is why we believe that every property owner should have the tools to manage their properties easily.

Being able to require renters insurance is one of of these tools. Without renters insurance you’re putting yourself, your rental, and your savings at risk. Requiring renters insurance protects you from expensive renter accidents, injuries on your rental property, and costly lawsuits that can easily pop up in the landlord business.

Send Your Renters To TurboTenant Today. Renters Insurance Policies as Low as $9/mo.

Interesting! "If you are selected you'll hear from me by XX date." That's something I'll definitely try in the future. 

Thanks for the advice everyone.  @Bryan O. @Account Closed

I am not sure of what the proper protocol is for rejecting applicants.  Do you send an email as to why they are rejected? How much information do you give? Are you legally required to give a reason? Does it depend on the state you're in? 

For a while now, I've been curious on how to properly approach rejecting a tenant. Any advice would be super helpful! 

Thanks in advance!

Hi Alison,

I recommend doing a full background check, credit check and eviction report for all applicants above the age of 18. In addition, I recommend asking for documents for employment verification and income verification. Also, always call previous landlords as part of the screening process.

There are services out there that have online applications (that also allow you to request these documents) and will also do a full screening report on the applicant (background, credit, and eviction). The tenant will pay for the screening report when completing the application as well. 

If you need a recommendation, please reach out and I am more than happy to help!

Hi Jacob, 

I agree with everyone recommending a lease overview. At the apartment I used to work at, we had a "Top 10 List of What to Know Before Signing". Although it is the tenants responsibility to read and understand the lease, I think to go over the main points of the lease with the tenant worked very well. For example, we went over pet policies, utilities and rent cost, renter's insurance policies, etc. This way, you are clear of your expectations and they cannot claim they were unaware (even though it is in their lease regardless). I always found it super helpful. I recommend keeping it short, touching on only a few topics and having it included in the first page of their lease.