Be strict on your lease, qualifying your tenants with good credit, 3xtimes rent income, no criminal background. 

What types of services do you use to screen potential tenants, such as credit score, employment, and criminal records? 

They can also fine you and some jurisdictions have criminal offenses for ongoing zoning/permit violations. 

First Judicial District just announced they are not processing evictions until June.https://www.inquirer.com/healt...Knowing Philadelphia, once June rolls around it will take months to process all the new filings.It puts property owners in a terrible situation since the government has the power to limit private evictions (no changing locks or constructive evictions) with the threat of civil and criminal penalty, yet they can close the only legal route to reclaim use of Private property rightfully owned and due to the owner. 

As far as background checks are concerned, these will be taken care of by the software too and most of them even let you pick your own screening options (credit, criminal and eviction) depending on your preferences.

I just make sure they have a job, no criminal backgrounds, and are thinking 6+ months.

Long story short we discovered a criminal record (check fraud), short work history, and low income.

You have the option to get both credit and criminal background checks, and have the option to pay for it yourself or have the prospective tenants pay directly.  

Other than that the background check was clean, no evictions, no criminal records and previous landlord references checked out.

Where I primarily invest we have one and their annual fee of $75 includes free real estate forms (leases, etc.) as well as cheap background checks (credit/criminal for $13.00).