Eployment verification third parties

[Kat Rathell]

We recently started running into more employers using the Worknumber or Truework or other employment verification services. Our rentals are in the inner city of Milwaukee, WI, so our renters are low income.

The services charge $50 for verifications, and it is a lot for our prospective tenants. We don’t charge an application fee, and only charge $25 for a background check if we have confirmed their rental history and employment and want to move ahead and offer the unit to the applicant. Yes, it is a lot of work, but we are a small business and want to be fair to our applicants, and not charge them until there is reason to.

We do not ever call the number of the ‘supervisor’ listed on the application, we go straight to HR, and caught a ton of fake employment records that way. But I feel that our low income tenants are at a disadvantage with this new trend, considering how they have to pay to prove they are employed to qualify for an apartment.

Any thoughts or workarounds?

Thanks!

[Marcus Auerbach]

@Kat Rathell - we take a similar approach, paper application for free, and the best on paper will be invited to do an online self-service backgroud check. I have been using smartmove by Transunion for many years and their recomendation score is spot on. Appliacnt needs a credit card to pay.

Emplyment verification is simple, I just ask to see a pay stub. Screenshot or picture will do.

Have not called an employer or landlord in years, usually hard to get someone on the phone and then the information provided is not very useful.