Court Record Search - reason for denying an applicant

[Melissa Crimp]

Hi. We have a few investment homes in Roanoke, VA for long-term rentals. When screening potential tenants, I've learned that the Zillow application doesn't show much, if anything, and the TransUnion SmartMove isn't proving to be much better. Lucky for me, Virginia court records are my best place for searching evictions, warrant in debt, etc.

My question is - if nothing comes up on a background check, but I find court records that tell me something different, can I use those as a reason to deny? 

Also - I'm dealing with an applicant right now who appears to live with a family member (same last name, listed as the landlord on her application) who was just served an eviction notice on September 14. I won't be renting to her, but she keeps checking in about her application, and I'm not sure how to deny her and don't want to say that I've looked up all these records. 

Any advice is appreciated! 

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Melissa Crimp:

It helps if you learn to run it like a business instead of letting your emotions get in the way. You don't have to fret over hurting people's feelings. Tell them the truth. Keep it short and professional. Then move on.

Go to Google and search for "adverse action notice" and you'll find plenty of examples like the one below. Create something similar that works for you. Fill in the blanks, check a box or two, and send it off.

TransUnion is one of the best screenings out there, but most criminal records and evictions are not public record and won't show on a background check. If you have a good screening process that checks all aspects of their background, you'll weed them out through other means. We process nearly 1,000 applicants per year and rarely have criminal problems.