At Deca Property Management, our rental property returns thrive on consistent, quality occupancy. Fully-leased property provides a solid income stream. But without the right tenants, profit earned through rental property could be lost. Damaged property, late and unpaid rent, or evictions can usually be avoided. Thorough tenant screening helps minimize risks and produce quality applicants for rental properties. See how tenant screening produces quality occupancy.
Our Deca team has extensive experience screening tenants in the St. Louis Area and beyond. We screen carefully for quality occupancy. And quality occupancy equals better profits for property owners. When you choose Deca Property Management as your property management company, you get the very best tenant screening as part of your comprehensive management services. Our quality management allows you to relax and enjoy the returns on your property investment.
What Do Landlords Look For When Screening a Tenant
To gather the best information, landlords must ask the right questions when screening a tenant. The ultimate goal is to reduce vacancies by setting up a system that identifies the highest quality rental candidates. Here are some important criteria a landlord should request during the tenant screening process.
Background Check
It should go without saying that knowing the criminal history of a potential tenant is incredibly important. Legally, landlords have the potential to be held liable for any criminal wrongdoing that occurs on their property. Background checks provide landlords with important information on any potential risks they may be taking by entering a lease agreement with an applicant. Deca provides full tenant background checks in compliance with local and state guidelines on specific criteria that can be requested to reduce the risk for the landlord.
Eviction History
Just as a background check helps provide information on the criminal history of an applicant, eviction records indicate the risk involved based on the tenants renting history. Eviction checks help flag previous evictions from an applicant, but should be taken into consideration carefully. It’s important to allow an applicant to provide context to the circumstances surrounding a previous eviction. Deca uses this as a tool in conjunction with other screening criteria to provide a full assessment for applicants.
Credit Score
Having a good credit score is often a great sign of a potential tenant. If an applicant has a history of paying their bills and debts in a timely manner, it often leads to quality occupancy. Just like eviction history, tenant screening should not be solely based on one factor. Applicants with less than ideal credit scores still have the potential to be ideal tenants if they meet other criteria.
Income and Employment Status
Providing proof of income is arguably the most important financial factor when reviewing a potential applicant. As a tenant screening service, we have to make sure the applicant has the means to pay their rent. While previous evictions and poor credit scores can be circumstantial, proof of income and employment is often straightforward. In order to properly review this information, tenant screening services will often request an applicant’s recent pay stub or W2 form.
Previous Landlord References
Just like previous employers on a job application, references from previous landlords can really help understand the applicant. This is an important step in the tenant screening process that is often overlooked. When an applicant is hesitant to disclose the contact information of a previous landlord, it can often be a red flag. When providing tenant screenings, Deca always takes the time to contact previous landlords, and ask the right questions to secure the highest quality occupants.
How to Analyze a Tenant Screening Report
After gathering all of the information needed, now what? Analyzing a tenant screening report is just as important as the information obtained. When reviewing a screening report for a potential tenant, it is always helpful to go in with the philosophy that every application is different. If you did your due diligence collecting the necessary information, it should provide you an overall financial and personal assessment of the applicant. At Deca, we have conducted thousands of tenant screenings which over time has helped us weigh some information over others to determine the risk involved with the applicant. This is a great example where working with an experienced property manager can help you understand the quality of an applicant.
Rental Screening Helps Protect Your InvestmentÂ
Having a system in place that allows you to conduct proper rental screenings will undoubtedly save you money long-term and protect your investment. The ability to separate good potential tenants from bad potential tenants will produce quality occupancy and reduce avoidable expenses.
Deca Property Management Provides Tenant Screening Services for St Louis Area Landlords
There’s nothing quite like having a trusted advisor on your side. At Deca Property Management, we offer comprehensive tenant screening services for St Louis area landlords looking to secure the highest quality occupants. From the implementation of the tenant screening application to the review of a prospective tenant, Deca is here to help with all of your rental screening needs. If you have questions or would like more information, call our office today at (314) 631-3306.Â
Interested In Other Property Management Services?Â
Deca is not only experts in how tenant screening produces quality occupancy in the St. Louis area; we can also help with accounting, lease preparation, maintenance, emergency repairs, and tenant eviction. So much goes into managing rental property and quality occupancy. Don’t let your property management become a stressful part of your life. Let Deca Property Management do the work for you. We’re happy to provide comprehensive support in all of the other areas related to management of your property.
