We all want to find the best tenants possible; people who are considerate of your property, are respectful, and of course, pay the rent when it's due. If a landlord ends up with tenants who cause damage or other problems in the unit, it can be very difficult to have them evicted, and then there are the costs of repairing the unit. So how do we make sure we're properly evaluating our prospects?
An application is necessary
A good place to begin is with a simple telephone screening process. Inquire about the number of people who would reside in the unit. Landlords can ask about employments status, if there will be pets, and other things, but a lot of the time the prospective tenant will voluntarily mention these things in the conversation. A viewing of the rental property can be arranged once the initial telephone screening is completed satisfactorily. When there are many prospective tenants, look at having certain scheduled times that the unit is available for viewing.
If someone is interested in renting the property, have them complete an in-depth application form. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation suggests asking questions to determine if the tenant is suitable, while staying within your province's Human Rights codes during your screening process. Landlords can ask questions pertaining to things like if a tenant smokes, if they have pets, where they work and income, and the names of everyone who would live in the residence.
Things that are not allowed to be asked are religion or ethnic background, sexual preference, for their social insurance number, marital status, or if they plan on having more children, and if family will be visiting.
The background checks are important, so make sure you do your research, even if you are short on time to rent out your suite. Any time spent now, will save you time and money in the long run. Your rental application should include a release allowing you to obtain information from employers, previous landlords, and credit bureaus. The information on the form is important, but it is not always truthful, so keep that in mind. Contact previous employers and landlords.
Landlords in Canada can contact Equifax Canada or Trans Union Canada for credit checks after obtaining consent from the prospective tenant. Rent Check Credit Bureau deals only in housing industry checks, and this is another option.
Confirm the information on the application by contacting their employer. When were they hired? What is their current position? How many hours do they work? How much is their salary?
Rental history and personal references should be checked. Be sure to get the previous landlord's information, and get the last 2 or 3 landlord contact details when possible. When did they live in your rental property? How long did they stay in the rental? Have they been late on rent payments? Did they own any pets? Was the home damaged, beyond normal wear and tear? Did they give you proper notice when they were moving out? Would you rent in the future to them?
An application is necessary
A good place to begin is with a simple telephone screening process. Inquire about the number of people who would reside in the unit. Landlords can ask about employments status, if there will be pets, and other things, but a lot of the time the prospective tenant will voluntarily mention these things in the conversation. A viewing of the rental property can be arranged once the initial telephone screening is completed satisfactorily. When there are many prospective tenants, look at having certain scheduled times that the unit is available for viewing.
If someone is interested in renting the property, have them complete an in-depth application form. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation suggests asking questions to determine if the tenant is suitable, while staying within your province's Human Rights codes during your screening process. Landlords can ask questions pertaining to things like if a tenant smokes, if they have pets, where they work and income, and the names of everyone who would live in the residence.
Things that are not allowed to be asked are religion or ethnic background, sexual preference, for their social insurance number, marital status, or if they plan on having more children, and if family will be visiting.
The background checks are important, so make sure you do your research, even if you are short on time to rent out your suite. Any time spent now, will save you time and money in the long run. Your rental application should include a release allowing you to obtain information from employers, previous landlords, and credit bureaus. The information on the form is important, but it is not always truthful, so keep that in mind. Contact previous employers and landlords.
Landlords in Canada can contact Equifax Canada or Trans Union Canada for credit checks after obtaining consent from the prospective tenant. Rent Check Credit Bureau deals only in housing industry checks, and this is another option.
Confirm the information on the application by contacting their employer. When were they hired? What is their current position? How many hours do they work? How much is their salary?
Rental history and personal references should be checked. Be sure to get the previous landlord's information, and get the last 2 or 3 landlord contact details when possible. When did they live in your rental property? How long did they stay in the rental? Have they been late on rent payments? Did they own any pets? Was the home damaged, beyond normal wear and tear? Did they give you proper notice when they were moving out? Would you rent in the future to them?
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