As a new landlord, you may not realize the importance of getting a background check on a prospective tenant. A rental property is an investment that can pay your mortgage if you rent it to a desirable and responsible person. Using tenant screening services is a reliable way to find someone who respects your property and pays the rent on time. Even if you think that you are a good judge of character based on first impressions, you can benefit from the expertise of professionals to help you make a good decision.

What a Tenant May Conceal
Your primary concerns as a landlord are to find a tenant who agrees to preserve your property and to pay you for the use of it. Your obligations as a responsible landlord are to present the property in good repair when you let it out for lease or rent, to make sure to repair anything that breaks down and to allow your tenants the quiet enjoyment of a rented home. In return, you expect a prospective tenant to provide factual information about personal history items such as these:

• previous physical and email addresses
• family size

As a responsible landlord, you can use such information to narrow your list of potential tenants. However, there are other pieces of information that are more valuable. Negative facts that reflect poorly on a person are not likely to come forward in your tenant interview, and that is the main reason that you need to use tenant screening services to find out about these:

• illegal or criminal activity
• aliases
• credit history
• participation in illegal activities

You may have heard the adage that warns against marrying in haste with the subsequent possibility of repenting in leisure. If you select a tenant who is not suitable, you are likely to have the sad experience of dealing with the consequences. Missed rental payments and damage to property are common problems that happen in rental agreements, and the security deposit that you require may not cover all of your losses.

Avoid Problems Later
Many jurisdictions make it difficult for a landlord to evict a tenant, and there are usually expenses associated with it. You may have to provide written notices, hire a sheriff or other official to deliver it in person and wait for the process to produce an eviction notice. Make a wise decision to eliminate undesirable candidates with tenant screening services so that you do not have to take legal action later.