Tenant Screening

Over the past several weeks, we've all been inundated with news about the pandemic. In that sea of constantly changing information, two facts are emerging. Social distancing and stepped-up sanitation measures do work to slow the contagion. And, with no cure at the...

The COVID-19 outbreak is challenging landlords who are looking to fill vacancies, especially in tenant-occupied properties. Where it may have made sense a few weeks ago to run tours through a unit before the current tenant moves out, that's no longer a viable option,...

New Bedford, Massachusetts lawmakers are mulling a "problem property" ordinance with an eye toward reducing local crime statistics. According to a news report, City Council is considering adding a provision requiring landlords to purchase -- for $30 -- a local...

The way to save time and avoid bad tenants is to take a surgical approach to tenant screening by focusing solely on qualifications. Detours and tangents only lead to irrelevant information. Use the checklist below to help you stick to the basics: First Contact Begin...

A series of pro-tenant rental regulations are moving through the Colorado General Assembly, the latest of which is a bill that would prevent courts from reporting evictions unless the judge ultimately signs an eviction order. Under the proposed measure, if the...

It's heartbreaking to hear landlord horror stories, especially when they start with "I thought I found the perfect tenant," or "I was trying to do something nice." Problem tenants are the exception to the rule, but they are out there, and they tend to repeat the...

Short-term rental platform Airbnb announced that it is adding two new regulations to host listings in Canada. Guests under the age of 25 no longer will be eligible to book unsupervised or "whole house" listings in their own communities. Additionally, Airbnb has...

The prequalification process is a crucial step in screening tenants. By asking a few questions on that first phone call, landlords can weed out unqualified renters before wasting time showing a unit to someone who won't be living there. Prequalification should be...

HUD has issued a new guidance paper aimed at clarifying the process for handling companion animal requests. The move comes after HUD agreed to investigate growing concern over fraudulent companion animal requests -- those made by pet owners attempting to avoid a...

Oakland, California City Council last month passed an ordinance that prevents virtually all landlords there from researching a rental applicant's criminal history. The measure prohibits landlords from inquiring in any fashion about an applicant's past criminal...