Tenant screening credit/criminal history

[Anthony Ingua]

I am going to be a first time landlord in Fresno, CA. I'm looking to rent out 2 of my bedrooms in my SFH. I was wondering what is the best way to screen future tenants if I don't want to pay for a monthly subscription like tenant cloud or rentredi? Or should I pay for the subscription to make the screening process easier, collecting rent, tracking maintenance, etc?

Also, where can I find California lease agreements?

[Jeff Zimmerman]

good luck @Anthony Ingua, I'd be tempted to use a more professional screening process at first, only because you are a first time landlord.  Once you get a little experience and have learned a few things from using tenant cloud, etc... it may be easier to screen without paying extra fees, but that's just me, I like infrastructure when I'm new at something.  

Above all, in my opinion, rental history is the best indicator for finding a good tenant so don't forget to ask for previous landlords numbers and get references from them.  Good luck!