Anyone have a good online site to do an authorized credit report on a prospective tenant?

I'd imagine that TRW and Expiran and Transunion all have online sites you can do that with.

There are several online ones and there is also Bad tenants. Not sure how good it is but here is the link,.

http://www.tenancybureau.com/us.php?Country=UNITED STATES&Region=MAINE&City=BRUNSWICK

Good luck, I hated being a landlord. There was always someone late with their rent or something broke.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

best bet is to not "screen" your own tenants, but rather use a screening company. that way you are free and clear if "they" (the screening company) decides if a person is too much risk. also i don't know about your state, but here (WA) the cost for screening ($35) is passed on to the tenant..
=todd=

quote Originally posted by tmur115: best bet is to not "screen" your own tenants, but rather use a screening company. that way you are free and clear if "they" (the screening company) decides if a person is too much risk. also i don't know about your state, but here (WA) the cost for screening ($35) is passed on to the tenant.. =todd=

Good advice! We recently rented a house so we can have time to look for a house or land to buy. The rental management company charged us $40 per person to do a credit and background check. Our credit rating is in the 790s so we had no problems but it still took about four days for the approval to come back. You might call a property management branch of a real estate office and ask who they use to do credit checks.

[This message has been edited by starlightcoupe (edited 04-15-2011).]

quote Originally posted by starlightcoupe: Good advice! We recently rented a house so we can have time to look for a house or land to buy. The rental management company charged us $40 per person to do a credit and background check. Our credit rating is in the 790s so we had no problems but it still took about four days for the approval to come back. You might call a property management branch of a real estate office and ask who they use to do credit checks.

the screening company does more than check "credit" the one we use checks, rental history (last 5 years), credit history, income, civil history... for a landlord/apt manager its a very good tool... but 4 days??? most of ours come back in less than a day...

=todd=

Honestly ???....those landlords can go frack themselves !!!!

If a potential landlords wants references from past landlords, then no problem. I got them in my briefcase.

If they want to run 40 different kinds of checks...get stuffed, there are plenty of other places for rent, and I dont need theirs that bad. They can keep it.

Well, around here, you can get some really bad tenants and once they are in, you can't get them out. Also, the tenant gives permission to do this, if they don't want to, then they don't have to and they can find another place to rent, as you said.

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: Honestly ???....those landlords can go frack themselves !!!! If a potential landlords wants references from past landlords, then no problem. I got them in my briefcase. If they want to run 40 different kinds of checks...get stuffed, there are plenty of other places for rent, and I dont need theirs that bad. They can keep it.

Some places, if they don't want you in will present you with a stack of paperwork. Just having you fill it all out shows them if you are tidy or not, and how much you care. The Credit reports I don't agree with, but I've probably got a very low score since I have bought nothing on credit for many many years. But it will show if you had a problem paying electric bills, or if you had a habit of running up bills, and leaving. Most people will not fill it all out.

I was always told (in-laws own, and manage a very large group of rentals in Kansas City) to get credit checks, and look at their vehicle to see how clean it is.
If it's a cluttered mess than most likely their house will be the same (car, or credit)

Brad

Well, honestly...its none of thier damn business anyway in a lot of ways...they are renting me a property for "x" bucks per mo...none of thier business if I dont do business with C.C. companies...none of thier business if I run a home office...none of thier business if I have a different stripper in my bed every 3rd night.

Thier business is simple--is rent paid on time, was the potential tenent a disruption to neighbors ect in the past, and was any damage done to the property--and simple reference checks will confirm that..........beyond that, its none of their business.

Its a rental business deal, and thats all....if they want to make it more than that, then they should get out of the landlord business.....

and it works both ways as well...how about I slap down a pile of papers wanting credit checks, background checks, and references on the landlord---I dont want to rent from somebody who has a history of harassing tennents. I dont want to rent from a cracklord so I risk MY (MY) personal property being seized because the property was bought with drug money. I dont want to rent from somebody with a proven history of not paying mortgages so I have to live in fear of a sheriffs notice of foreclosure on my front door....

Its a 2-way street......

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: Well, honestly...its none of thier damn business anyway in a lot of ways...they are renting me a property for "x" bucks per mo...none of thier business if I dont do business with C.C. companies...none of thier business if I run a home office...none of thier business if I have a different stripper in my bed every 3rd night. Thier business is simple--is rent paid on time, was the potential tenent a disruption to neighbors ect in the past, and was any damage done to the property--and simple reference checks will confirm that..........beyond that, its none of their business. Its a rental business deal, and thats all....if they want to make it more than that, then they should get out of the landlord business..... and it works both ways as well...how about I slap down a pile of papers wanting credit checks, background checks, and references on the landlord---I dont want to rent from somebody who has a history of harassing tennents. I dont want to rent from a cracklord so I risk MY (MY) personal property being seized because the property was bought with drug money. I dont want to rent from somebody with a proven history of not paying mortgages so I have to live in fear of a sheriffs notice of foreclosure on my front door.... Its a 2-way street......

Not in my building sweetie

Reason for the credit check: I don't care that you owe money to whomever. I care that you are going to get a phone call that says pay this today, or \i tow your car. Thus, people will choose to pay that instead of rent.

I never want to be someone\s first choice of what not to pay.

I don't really care if you have a diff. stripper every night. I care if you bring undesirable people in my building. If those people look like they are anything close to using drugs,, then we have an issue.

You are free to request my references. I'll walk you down the hall and ytou can choose a door at random.

The ironic part of it all: my credit is horrible. Good thing it doesn't matter...I'm the one that says yes or no.

quote Originally posted by Gridlock: Good thing it doesn't matter...I'm the one that says yes or no.

Nope..your not....I"M the customer...I have the money you want. The whole purpose you bought the property rent out...I"M the one who says "ok, i'll take it"...or says "next cab please".....sure, there are plenty of other tenents---but there are plenty of other landlords too ........and at the end of the day, you are still the seller, and I am still the buyer--and you need a buyer.

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: .

I get what you're saying, and I hate it too, but a credit check is a useful tool for someone to use to see a persons habits.

Here, if I am constantly late on my water bill there is a bad mark recording such on my report. This would show a landlord that I don't have my crap together enough to pay my bills on time, if a water bill is late a lot, imagine what happens to the rent.
The same for electric.

The report would also show if the water was shut off for non-payment. Would you really want someone living in your building with no water for months on end? I've seen it done, and I am dealing with the aftermath of it here.

There are places that don't check credit, and they are typically the lower end places that either are ran down, or will get there pretty quickly.

As for who you have, or what you do in your own place, you are correct, it's your own business. But (here once again), if a landlord suspects drug activity of any type, or any illegal activity, they are legally obligated to evict the tenants. If they do not do so they face a loss of their property. This doesn't include the things that happen to a property when a tenant uses illicit drugs (typically), or parties constantly.

I'm not a fan of a lot of stuff, but I can see the necessary parts of them.

Brad

Good luck trying to evict someone.... renters have more powers to stay than the rental company has to get rid of them.

I was taken aback 3 years ago when I rented a dump of an apartment for $250/month. First she asked for references from previous landlords. I had to explain to her that my last landlord from 1992 was probably dead by now. I explained that I've owned a home since then. Then she wanted to do a credit check on me and I said that that wasn't going to happen on a $250/month apartment. I was an E8 in the military and if that wasn't a good enough reference I'd find another place to live. (It was a military town.) My 2nd apartment, the landlady threw out the credit check and said that if she had problems with the rent, she'd just call my First Sergeant. We had a good laugh 1 year later after I paid on time or in advance that if she were to ever call my First Sergeant, that I'd be taking the call as I was the First Sergeant. The landlady let me off the hook for my last month's rent as she had never had a renter that paid on time or ahead of time and left the apartment with the only damage of a few marks on the painted wall.

I couldn't understand a credit check until I watched other tenants get evicted or always late on their rent check. After that reality check I vowed I would not rent out my house as it wasn't worth the hassle of worrying if the rent was going to be paid and on time. I don't get people and their irresponsibility when it comes to paying for a roof over your head.

quote Originally posted by tmur115: the screening company does more than check "credit" the one we use checks, rental history (last 5 years), credit history, income, civil history... for a landlord/apt manager its a very good tool... but 4 days??? most of ours come back in less than a day... =todd=

We lived in a house we owned for 14 years and have no previous rental history and as I stated, our credit rating is 792 or 794, the gal told me. My income is more than adequate to make rent payments and we only owe on a credit card but pay it off monthly. My wife's college loans are nearly paid off too. Still don't know what civil history means. Civil Disturbance history maybe? I still don't know why it took four days.

You must have meant Civil War History. I know a little bit about it and from what I know, I am glad I wasn't in it.

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: Nope..your not....I"M the customer...I have the money you want. The whole purpose you bought the property rent out...I"M the one who says "ok, i'll take it"...or says "next cab please".....sure, there are plenty of other tenents---but there are plenty of other landlords too ........and at the end of the day, you are still the seller, and I am still the buyer--and you need a buyer.

See, I never take that approach. Yeah, there is an applied customer/provider relationship, but it ain't best buy and the customer isn't always right.

I had a tenant at my door complaining about the fact that she stepped in dog **** on her way to the car in the morning amongst other things, and she busts out, "you know, I pay rent here".

10 seconds later she had my door in her face. She never really got that I don't care. Don't like it? I take notices at the end of every month for the people that no longer wish to live here. No tears.

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: Nope..your not....I"M the customer...I have the money you want. The whole purpose you bought the property rent out...I"M the one who says "ok, i'll take it"...or says "next cab please".....sure, there are plenty of other tenents---but there are plenty of other landlords too ........and at the end of the day, you are still the seller, and I am still the buyer--and you need a buyer.

mem... i usually see your side of posts, but here i just don't get it most of the screening process is either to weed out the undesireables, or make life more pleasent for the "community" ... the rent paying just completes the deal...

quote Originally posted by Gridlock: See, I never take that approach. Yeah, there is an applied customer/provider relationship, but it ain't best buy and the customer isn't always right. I had a tenant at my door complaining about the fact that she stepped in dog **** on her way to the car in the morning amongst other things, and she busts out, "you know, I pay rent here". 10 seconds later she had my door in her face. She never really got that I don't care. Don't like it? I take notices at the end of every month for the people that no longer wish to live here. No tears.

see ??...I wont pay your kind one penny in rent, and I will advocate...loose your building, I dont care....step in dog-crap....I dont care...take your building, your rentil units, roll the whole fracking ting into a little ball and shove it so far up yer ass it pops out yer left nostril...........

There are other condos to rent,

ib4tc..?

quote Originally posted by starlightcoupe: We lived in a house we owned for 14 years and have no previous rental history and as I stated, our credit rating is 792 or 794, the gal told me. My income is more than adequate to make rent payments and we only owe on a credit card but pay it off monthly. My wife's college loans are nearly paid off too. Still don't know what civil history means. Civil Disturbance history maybe? I still don't know why it took four days. You must have meant Civil War History. I know a little bit about it and from what I know, I am glad I wasn't in it.

lol... SLC... no what i ment was "criminal"/ civil history... you would be surprised... i have had a person tell me that they had no "issues" and had the paperwork come back :ESCAPED FELON: from rthe state penn....umm no thanks...

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: Nope..your not....I"M the customer...I have the money you want. The whole purpose you bought the property rent out...I"M the one who says "ok, i'll take it"...or says "next cab please".....sure, there are plenty of other tenents---but there are plenty of other landlords too ........and at the end of the day, you are still the seller, and I am still the buyer--and you need a buyer.

Your laws in Canada might be different from ours, I'll keep that in mind here for you.

The whole idea is limiting the risk to the landlord with a credit check. What if you paid the total rent up front for the entire lease period? Perhaps through an automatic escrow account? Perhaps pay up front the maximum security deposit too? All utility bills up front too. I doubt that you would do that? You can find another place to live, a place where the landlord doesn't care. The landlord probably won't care about alot of things, you can find out on your own.

Personaly I would not live anywhere that didn't have credit/background checks. As a tennant, I feel that it helps protect me as well as the landlord. It establishes a certain level or bar to pass. My rent probably won't go up due to lack of payment by a bad tennant, my place probably won't get flooded out by a frozen pipe that burst because the bad tennant didn't pay the heat. I could go on but that's the idea. I don't pay a built in risk premium either, (I asked) vacancies and non-payments are extremely low.

The landlord had to pass some really high standards to purchase the units through a bank mortage company, you can bet that he/she wants to keep their credit whole by making the payments by insuring that they screen the tennants carefully.

I'm sure that you're a nice person, probably would make your rent on time, pay all your bills too but you're certainly not going to be living next to me with your opinion about credit checks, that's your call though. Perhaps in time you'll see that the nicest places get rented to people who get background / credit checks.

jaskispyder is right, a bad tennant can be very difficult to get out, especially for landlords who are not experienced in the legal doors that are required to step through in order to remove a tennant. My landlord says she can have someone out in less than 90 days if everything goes just right, it's a pain though, not something that is easy.

jaskispyder PM sent....

quote Originally posted by faaaaq: ib4tc..?

Nawww....its a civilized discussion about differences of opinion in business.