I'm a new landlord, how do i go about checking references?

Question

What should i tell the apartments when I call, or what should i ask?

Answer 1

You tell the other landlords that so and so (give name) put them as a reference and ask if it's alright if you ask a few questions. Ask how long they rented from the certain apartment complex, if they were ever late on rent or skipped payments, were their any known issues, did they break their lease early, did they leave the apartment in good condition or were there damages, things like that.
Good luck!

Answer 2

(1) FAX them a written, signed request, so they know you're authorized by the tenant to ask questions about them.

(2) Ask about:
(a) how long they lived there
(b) how much their rent was
(c) were they ever late? How many times?
(d) did they bounce checks? How many times?
(e) did they get their deposit back? Why not?
(f) were there any complaints from other tenants? What
kind?
(g) would you rent to them again?

Reverse procedure if they're asking you.

But remember- GIVE FACTS ONLY. It's OK to ASK anything but only GIVE facts. If you can get the other guy to tell you some personal anecdotes or whatever, the more information for YOU the better. But it's risky for YOU to give out anything but verifiable facts. Always contact the PREVIOUS landlord- the one they have now may WANT to get rid of them!

Answer 3

The present landlord may be anxious to get rid of them, so check the previous landlord also. I ask the applicant for $10 to pay for a credit report. I get the report from my local landlord association. It gives me his credit score which helps me decide. Where I live, I can access the circuit court records to get any arrests for criminal cases. In some states you have go to the court house to get this information.

Answer 4

The above answer is correct, but make sure to do it in writing so you have documentation of who supplied the information. You will also need the new renter's consent signature allowing their former landlord to release the information. (You can use the signature from the rental application). You can also search the web for a simple "rental verification request form" to use. Hope this helps!

Answer 5

First of all, even the best of agencies do get things wrong. Do some preliminary checks. Call their work place to find out if they work there. Ask for a bill or bank statement. that is all that these agencies do for a fee. You can surely do that yourself. if you want to go one step ahead, call their previous Landlord.