As California's moratorium has already ended, eviction rates in the state's most populous counties, including Riverside, have soared again. Indeed, they're now even higher than pre-pandemic levels. For many of these cases, the primary reason is non-payment of rent.
Evictions are among the last things you want to deal with as a Riverside, CA, landlord. After all, they are time-consuming and expensive.
Fortunately, you can lower the likelihood of such risks with the help of a thorough tenant background check.
This guide discusses the tools you should use during tenant screening, so read on.
Credit Checks
Credit checks let you examine a prospective tenant's credit score and history. These reports summarize how well they manage their finances, including the timely payment of their debts. You can use them to gauge whether potential renters can pay on time.
Criminal Background Checks
An estimated eight million people in California have an old criminal conviction. Many are for minor crimes, but others are for more severe felonies. You'd want to avoid renting out to those with the latter, especially if they're for violent crimes.
A criminal background check confirms which applicants have criminal histories and tells you how severe their crimes were. You can then use this information to help you decide which rental applications to consider.
Eviction and Rental History Checks
Even if applicants have good credit standing or no criminal record, it doesn't automatically make them excellent tenants. They could still be high-risk tenants if they have an eviction history due to non-payment of rent. They may also have broken their previous lease (e.g., failed to perform their legal tenant maintenance obligations).
Those are just a few reasons you'd want to know prospective tenants' rental and eviction histories. By speaking with their previous landlords, you can learn more about their behaviors and how responsible they are.
Employment Checks
Employment checks give you insight into prospective tenants' income sources. They can help confirm applicants earn enough to pay their rent and other financial dues. You can then use this knowledge to lower your risks of accepting tenants who cannot pay their rent on time or are likely to break the rental lease.
Professional Tenant Background Check Services
As crucial as the above methods are in screening tenants, they can be complex and time-consuming. Many laws, such as those under the California Fair Housing Act, also strictly regulate them. The Act prohibits discriminatory housing practices based on factors like gender, disability, and even criminal history.
So, to simplify tenant screening, work with a property management company. They provide tenant screening services and help you decide who to rent to.
Find Highly Qualified Tenants
Your tenant background check policy should include credit, criminal, eviction, rental, and employment history checks. They can help you find qualified tenants who'll pay their rent on time and respect your property and neighbors.
Here at PMI Riverside, you can rely on our experts to help you screen tenants. You can expect only high-quality services from us because we've learned from the best. Our parent company, PMI, has been in the property management industry for over 20 years and manages over $5 billion worth of assets.
So, speak with us today! We look forward to discussing how we can help you find qualified Riverside tenants.
