Landlords assume great risk every time they rent a rental property to a tenant. Whether that tenant is a corporation, an individual or a small business owner, risks include:
- Building structure damage
- Unpaid rent
- Use of premises for illegal operations
- Activities or actions that pose a danger to other tenants or neighbors
Landlords At Risk
When tenants directly or indirectly threaten your rental property (for example, with income loss or bodily harm or injury), landlords are put in the crosshairs for public disdain, legal action or financial breakdown. The following case indicates that landlords can be held liable for tenants’ actions in their rental property.
In a case in Bakersfield, California, a landlord leased a room to a convicted felon who subsequently raped a woman and set the house on fire. The woman is suing the landlord for negligence by renting to a dangerous criminal.
Whether or not the court rules against the landlord, he will still have to potentially pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend himself or herself, and spend countless hours sitting in lawyer’s offices and courtrooms.
Tenant Screening Benefits Landlords Rental Property
With a background screening process in place, landlords may be able to protect themselves from harm. Tenant screening benefits landlords and a rental property in many ways and can reveal the following:
- Tenants with criminal histories
- Tenants with poor rent-paying histories
- Fraudulent rental applications
- Tenants with violent tendencies
With a tenant screening service, landlords can quickly identify tenant applicants who don’t meet the minimum qualification criteria for a particular rental property.
A History Revealed
Tenant screening and background screening may identify undesirable aspects of the history of an applicant that may disqualify him/her from being able to rent the unit from the landlord. A background check performed by EvictionRecords.com can reveal such things as prior eviction records, county and state criminal records, federal court records, identity verification and address history. With these background record searches available to landlords, it’s possible to help ensure that any applicant who is being seriously considered will be up to the landlord’s standards.
It’s inadvisable for a landlord to lease a rental property to a tenant without conducting a criminal history search at the minimum. A tenant screening related to previous rental history and credit is also advised to help protect the landlord from potential threat related to rental property damage and unpaid rent.
Contact us today to learn more about background screening for your tenant applicants.
Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute legal advice and is governed by our Terms of Use. We make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website and its associated sites.
