Help with background check information

[Michael Lynch]

Hi,

My wife and I purchased a home last August and set it up for a STR. It did pretty well this summer as far as generating revenue. We had major problems with Airbnb and VRBO not covering damages to the home after many phone calls and being on hold for hours switching back and forth to many different people. We took photos, made videos, and were told that they generally do not pay for electronics like TV's, electronic ice makers, and Air Conditioners since it is hard to prove who did the damage or when it was done. Instead of placing money in our account, for one pay out, they took money out of it. It took another month for them to place the money back in account, after a bunch of phone calls and loss of work.... It has not been a good experience at all and very time consuming. Many of their people can barely speak and understand English. That was the major problem....... It seems that things work pretty smooth until something bad happens to the home, then it can turn into a "phone call" nightmare really quick, and it did.

Now, we are thinking about long term renting. We live in North Carolina. Should I try to do a background check on possible tenants or let a company do it? Are there any NC Landlords on here that would be willing to point us in the right direction as far as links, great Attorneys, etc.? Some people say that we can do it and others say to let a company do it.

Thanks!