Recently Divorced/Seperated Tenant

[Sawyer Nyquist]

Hello BP,

I am taking applicants for my first rental property. The most interested and promising applicant so far (after only a week) is a middle aged woman who's husband just left her (not sure if they are divorced or just separated). After being married for 20+ years her husband left and she is having to sell their house. 

I haven't got results from her background check or credit score yet. Assume those both come back solid, is there anything else I should be concerned about? I don't have personal experience with divorce, but I know it can often be financial complicated. 

Any thoughts? 

[Bart H.]

Note I am not a lawyer or am I giving legal advice especially surrounding source of income.

But I would check to make sure she personally has employment that covers the 3x's income/ rent, is she going to be relying on child support or spousal support that may or not get paid to make the rent? I would scrutinize the credit, i.e. Is she walking away way from a marriage over financial problems. Or is she going to get saddled with a bunch of credit cards or loans.

I would still run background check to look for convictions etc.