Screening Tenants

[Carlo Santarelli]

Hi there, I'm am brand new to the BiggerPockets site and love all the information here! Thank you so much! I have a few questions regarding tenant screenings... 1) Does anyone have suggestions on screening for "good" tenants? (I.e good questions to ask, rules of thumb, avoiding legal issues with questions you may want answers to, etc.) 2) Is there an application / screening template that someone would like to share or reference? Thank you, Carlo Santarelli

[Marcia Maynard]

Effective screening begins by establishing good rental criteria. Put your criteria in writing. Also, put your screening questions in writing. Use the same questions with every inquiry, so you are treating all equally and fairly. Be careful not to ask questions that are against the law or can be considered to be illegally "steering" tenants. A housing discrimination lawsuit, whether well founded or not, is a bear. Protect yourself.

Be sure to learn about the protected classes and fair housing laws. Learn how to rent to people with qualified disabilities and how to make reasonable accommodations. Be aware of the people who try to sneak in a pet as a service animal, emotional support animal or companion animal pretending to have a qualified disability or pretending the animal is a qualified to provide a necessary function related to their disability. Tread carefully.

Yes, you can turn down an applicant because they are a smoker. Smokers are not a protected class. We do not rent to smokers and we let people know that upfront in our advertising. We do not allow smoking anywhere on our properties. We charge a $50 fee each time a person violates that rule; it's in our rental agreement and we enforce it. Smoking can cause significant property damage and is also a health risk we will not tolerate. Establish a clear "no smoking policy" and stick to it!

If you are interested, private message me and I will share with you our rental criteria and screening questions. The world of residential real estate investing and landlording can be profitable, fulfilling and exciting! Welcome to our world!