Screeing College Tenants

[Trevor Neis]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has nay knowledge on finding good college students to rent to. It would be very unlikely that anyone would qualify when looking at credit score and income. Could I screen their parents to make sure they qualify, and require that they cosign? And should I require their parents to cosign either way. Also I was curious as to the whether having all tenants on one lease, or if I should have a separate lease for each one.

And I know I don't currently have any properties, but I am trying to prepare for the day I eventually do!

[Maya Roberts]

Hello @Trevor Neis,

I would use Zillow and Facebook Marketplace to find college students.

Regarding qualifying, I typically require a co-signer and run them through the same process.  Yes, that might require them to pay for 2-3 background screenings per applicant.  I recently started to use Burbz for screening reports since it's totally free.

I also put all the tenants on a single lease; holds them more accountable.  Also, have the move-out conversation with all the tenants and co-signers, I suggest when they move-in so they are all fully aware of your process.