SITE INSPECTION??? To run credit/background/eviction checks?

Question

I'm so noticeably new to this. It's been hammered in my head to screen and check for these things. When it comes time to do it, I thought I'd enter the info, pay the appropriate fees online and be done (yes, I have a signed app giving permission to do these checks). But I have to have a site inspection? Meaning a person is going to come to my home and check for things? Is this for real? Is there another way of doing this? I was hoping to run checks and let the prospective tenant know an answer by today or tomorrow.

Bill S. · Answer

It's real and the law. Credit law requires checking out your "office" for compliance. Read the requirements. It's not hard to get approved by you must pass the inspection. It takes a couple of weeks from start to finish. You have to pay, they call and schedule, then come and visits, and finally report back. Again this is required by law if you are going to view their credit report with your eyes.

There are agencies that offer a service that views the credit reports for you and returns a pass fail based on your criteria. You don't get to see the credit report. This approach is significantly inferior in IMO.

1) When you see the credit report you see credit history, who they have paid and who they haven't. Medical bills and student loans vs utilities and judgments from apartment complexes.

2) You see addresses. You can match this against what they have on their application and check address on the credit report that don't show on the application for places that may not provide them with a favorable reference.

3) You see debt load. Other people they are obligated to pay money to.

4) You see how much they utilize credit. No credit history with someone who operates cash only may have a lower score than someone who is living on the edge with debt.

Sorry you are new and didn't understand what you didn't know. Sign up to get the site inspection so you can do your own credit checks. In the mean time find a company that will help you with this screening. There are usually local agencies that offer this. Most times they also do employment screening. It may cost more but DO NOT skip it. Maybe you know someone in the business that can help as well.

Chris K. · Answer

What site are you using?? I use mysmartmove and did just as you were expecting. I signed up and was able to run a background/credit without any inspections (Applicant paid)

Account Closed · Answer

@Lyndsey Keller,

When you sign up with the bureaus, they will pull your personal credit, and they are looking for tax liens and  bankruptcy and if your credit is not good, they will still sign you up, but you will need to put a deposit on file and as a landlord, The bureaus will not allow you to charge a tenant more than what you are paying the bureau for the credit report.

Kyle J. · Answer

You have two options.  #1 - If you do not want to have a site inspection, you do not have to and can still run credit checks.  However, you will NOT get detailed credit information on the applicant.  You will just get something along the lines of a "recommendation" or "rental decision" (yes or no), depending on the company and certain criteria contained in the applicants credit file (which you don't actually get to see).

Option #2, have the on-site inspection done and you WILL get direct access to the applicant's credit file.  There's no way around this if you want the actual information in the applicant's credit file.  All three credit bureaus require it, as a result of the FTC requiring them to implement tighter controls to cut back on identity theft.

I would recommend doing the on-site inspection so you get the actual detailed credit information on the applicant.  I've been through two inspections with two different companies and they are quick (less than 10 minutes), relatively inexpensive ($50-60 depending on the company), and easy.  They only check to make sure you have things like: a shredder, a locking file cabinet where the tenant/credit information is stored, a password on your computer, and a lock on the door to the office/part of the house where you conduct your tenant screening.

Deanna O. · Answer

MySmartMove doesn't require a site inspection, they do provide detailed credit report. What they do NOT do is let you have the SS# or birthdate. Not a big deal unless you have to evict/get a judgement, in which case those things could be useful.

I've been using them for about 4 years. I have mixed feelings. When everything goes perfectly, it's great. ANY mistake and it's a nightmare to deal with. They did, FINALLY get customer support during the weekend!

The customer support is polite and apologetic, but only open during the day. The telephone support from India have a hard time understanding English, and are equally hard to understand. The system apparently doesn't allow them fix even the simplest problems - a mistyped e-mail address resulted in 4 calls, 2 e-mails before I could access the paid-for application, and they absolutely CAN NOT correct an e-mail address, no way, no how. Can you please just write down the bad e-mail address and password, mum, and use that? Maybe you can just print the report  out once you access it. So sorry, we can not merge the two accounts. I know everything else is identical, mum, but we can not correct the e-mail address, because it is a different e-mail mum.

I DID manage to finally access the report, but SOOO annoying.

Oh, and if you mis-type the password ONCE it will lock you out on the 2nd try ...and it stays locked forever until you contact customer service. Use the "I forgot my password" questions. Less secure to keep doing that all the time, but less frustrating.

Rob K. · Answer

I signerd up with the credit service that Mr Landlord offers. There was a site inspection, but it's no big deal. They make sure you have a paper shredder, password on computer, and locking file cabinet. They also check to make sure you're tghe owner of the properties.

Chris K. · Answer

Mysmartmove/Trans Union was who provided the information.

The applicants enter their information themselves.

Account Closed · Answer

Who did the background check for you?

Chris K. · Answer

That's part of the learning process. Gotta do your own due diligence on these things. One of the reasons I opted for mysmartmove is the same reason you did but I had been doing alot of reading here on various options and people have stated on many discussions here that you gotta get an office inspection for some credit check companies. Just one less thing for you to learn the next time :)

Chris K. · Answer

You're correct that it's Trans Union. I'm guessing since the applicant is pretty much inputting the information themselves that there is no need for inspections and such.