# Rentals



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Always something new ,owned real estate rentals all my life. Now they say I got to run background checks on new tenants. Anyone have any luck with the generic ones you find online in regards to running a background check and I would have the peoples ss#


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

Can't the local Sheriff's office do that? Nominal fee perhaps?

Hopefully, you're asking for references and speaking with their current employer, previous landlord, etc. Sure don't want to get deadbeats that can't/won't pay the rent and are then difficult to evict. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. Seen the trouble friends who are landlords have dealt with over the years.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

endrow said:


> Always something new ,owned real estate rentals all my life. Now they say I got to run background checks on new tenants. Anyone have any luck with the generic ones you find online in regards to running a background check and I would have the peoples ss#


List them as illegals and get a free pass.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Funny stuff....... if it wasn't true


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Why do you have to do background checks? Someone is requiring you to do it???

At work we use what used to be called York County Credit Bureau. They now go by CBY. I dont under stand if they are/were a government agency, but they offer the services we need, and are not limited to York County.

https://cby.com/


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

endrow said:


> Always something new ,owned real estate rentals all my life. Now they say I got to run background checks on new tenants. Anyone have any luck with the generic ones you find online in regards to running a background check and I would have the peoples ss#


Says who?? OL J R


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

I have a rental house I have been lucky to find people I sorta know. My driveway runs through the rental property or I wouldn’t have bought the place. I really dislike being a landlord but the plan is for it too be our retirement home someday.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I've had rentals for 40 years. I could always find someone we knew, someone's friend, we have been so lucky, but a lot of things changed. The insurance company says because this is a double home with two families living in the same home even though it's split down the middle by a wall background checks need to be done. I don't think it's a law but our insurance company is going to require it for this setting.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Quite frankly the reason we are have trouble renting these houses right now is we have never allowed pets in the house. I told my son I believe we're really going to have to change things here pretty much so everyone has a pet nowadays


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

endrow said:


> Quite frankly the reason we are have trouble renting these houses right now is we have never allowed pets in the house. I told my son I believe we're really going to have to change things here pretty much so everyone has a pet nowadays


Ugh. Pets. I like them for me to have. But others. Renting properties. Dislike. I learned a trick a few years ago from a guy on determining if a renter is going to be a good one. Kind of underhanded, but I don't think illegal. Tell them you will need to meet them where they currently live to sign the rental agreement or fill out an application or something. Set a date. Show up the day before and pretend you were confused. This will allow you to see how they live and take care of a place hopefully before they would have a chance to clean it up for your visit if they needed too. Or at the very least drive by their current place.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

I've got some commercial retail as well as a couple of houses that I rent.

With the houses, I've found that the "teacher grapevine" is far more effective than any background check devised. My wife is a teacher and every renter we have had for the past 12-15 years or so have come through teacher references. I've found that if you have kids in school, teachers probably know EVERYTHING about your business. Simply put, kids talk.

On the commercial side, it's a different animal. Your best friend is a well written lease agreement. Get EVERYTHING in writing. If you and the tenant agree on something outside of the lease agreement, document it with both parties signing the addendum. Even an email will work in most cases. One item that I always include in my agreements is an automatic escalation clause on the lease payments. You can either set a fixed percentage or tie it to an index.

That said, I've been burned a couple of times on rent. Once by a policeman and once by a preacher. Go figure.....


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

endrow said:


> Always something new ,owned real estate rentals all my life. Now they say I got to run background checks on new tenants. Anyone have any luck with the generic ones you find online in regards to running a background check and I would have the peoples ss#


I've used them but don't really trust them. One thing, if you are going to run a background check, have the prospective tenant fill out an application form with terms that explicitly allow you to run the background check. I also require the applicant to pay the fee up front to cover the cost of the background check. The theory is that if they know they have something that will show up on a background check, they will balk at paying the fee.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

helped a friend a bit with a house he bought to rent out. He went with a management company, relying on them to do paperwork, background checks, insurance, etc. He also said he was going to have a rent price for no pet, and a higher one with a pet. He was saying if it said no pet all a renter had to do was produce a letter from a doctor stating the animal provided some service, emotional support, most anything, and then the animal was in with no pet fee, etc.


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