Criminal Background Checks are part of Tenant Screening
Owners and property managers of large low-income properties are facing increasing pressure to regulate and improve the safety of their complexes. With the advent of the 24 hour news cycle and the availability of the Internet, the crime and safety levels are increasingly transparent in most residential communities, as bad news is publicized all the [...]
Require Your Tenants to get renters insurance
According to a survey by Allstate insurance, 60% of tenants nationwide do not have renter’s insurance. The cost of renter insurance is very cheap, usually $15 to $20 per month, and within the price range for most tenants who are not absolutely destitute. Some landlords are requiring their tenants to carry renter’s insurance because it protects the landlords cash flow. [...]
Building gets makeover with tenant screening
Creative Management in Columbia, South Carolina has received some positive press for instituting a new tenant screening and eviction program at the Broad River Terrace apartment complex. The building has 103 units and had a reputation for violence, criminal and gang activity. The new owners instituted a strong tenant screening program after taking ownership in 2003, and crime [...]
Screening Tenants for Criminal Activity
The importance of maintaining a safe living environment for your tenants cannot be stressed enough, specifically with regard to criminal activity. According to Amerilawyer.com, “A landlord can be sued for failing to take at least minimal steps to alleviate the risk posed by a violent tenant, a Court has ruled.” The court action’s purpose was [...]
SuperBad Tenants: a landlord nightmare
Channel 34 news in binghamton New YOrk has a great story about a super bad tenant that wil make your head shake and your wallet cringe. There’s a stereotype in our culture about bad landlords but not one about problem tenants. There could be after reading this. According to the article, it’s common for tenants to trash apartments, and [...]
Criminal Tenants to face eviction in New Jersey
Problem tenants who commit crimes may have a tough time holding onto their apartments if a new inititive is passed Millville, New Jersey. The City Commission is exploring a new program which will allow landlords to work with the police and speed up evictions for crimes that occurr on their property.
Under the program, police would [...]
Proposed renter background checks wouldn’t include BYU students
Renter background checks is a smart move for any landlord or property manager. KSL.COM just published an article showing that Provo City is considering background checks for all citizens except for BYU students. Apparently the assumption is that college students are less likely to commit crimes because they follow the college’s code of conduct. As [...]
Difficult times for landlords and tenants
The bad economy is causing difficulties for landlords and tenants. Landlords are having a hard time collecting rent and evictions are on the rise. Tenants wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. Recently in Yonkers, tenants and landlords met with the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Committee ti discuss the issue.
Sounding much more [...]
Check your potential tenants criminal record
Make sure you check out your potential tenant’s criminal history before you offer them the apartment or your home. An instant criminal database search is a fast way to protect yourself and other tenants by finding out your renter’s criminal history. You can go further and conduct hand pulled criminal record searches in the county courthouses [...]
Tips for New Landlords
Everything about landlord has a great tip list for prospective landlords. As with any new business decision, it’s important to conduct your own feasibility study and prepare a business plan. The emphasis here is on research and analysis. While you may be passionate about becoming a new landlord, it’s important to conduct your research and then examine the facts with discerning mind, [...]
