A Renter’s Background Check

A background check for a potential tenant is much like an employment background check. Both, in fact, examine the same pieces of information to determine whether or not a person will be a suitable worker or tenant. The main difference for a background check for a tenant is that the person’s addresses and tenant history is delved into more thoroughly, in addition to many aspects covered in an employment background check.

Like employment, becoming a tenant in an apartment building often involves an application, and occasionally references and current pay stubs from a job are needed. These aren’t the only components needed to determine a tenant’s suitability, however. For a basic background check, common elements that a landlord can check with an online background check include: social security number validation, an OFAC/Patriot Act search on the potential tenant, eviction and suit history, liens and judgment history, any bankruptcies, criminal records, and sex offender history.

Online background checks to examine a tenant’s history can be even more thorough and often they are. Other components for a background check for a renter include examining his or her credit file and FICO score, collections history, and all previous addresses. An identity check is also necessary, especially if a person has lived under previous names before. For an identity check not only are social security numbers verified but all other information for previous identities, including previous employment and addresses.

While a background check in employment is often a necessary component in finding the perfect and “ideal” candidate for a company, a background check determines for a tenant who is a suitable tenant. Keeping an apartment clean, keeping the noise down, and making rent payments on time are baseline standards for an apartment tenant and a landlord needs to determine whether or not a tenant can keep up these things and won’t face eviction.