Tenant Screening

"You don't have to answer that." That's the advice given to a tenant after she showed a landlord's rental application to a legal services volunteer. And for good reason. The landlord asked applicants to identify if they were alcoholics. Another question asks...

One hundred five. That's the total number of cats rescued from a two-bedroom apartment in Guelph last week. The tenant voluntarily surrendered the animals to the Guelph Humane Society after she was evicted from the apartment for causing an estimated $20,000 in damage,...

California is among at least 15 other states and over 100 cities that have passed prohibitions against source of income discrimination. This month, California broadens its rules to include rental applicants using Section 8 vouchers. Several California cities already...

The Department of Justice announced last month that it is suing the city of Hesperia, California, along with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, for enforcing a nuisance ordinance that it says violates the Fair Housing Act. According to the complaint, the...

Stop tenant fraud, and you'll prevent the resulting income loss. A little detective work early in the tenant screening process can expose a would-be nightmare tenant. But in the rush to fill a vacancy, some landlords miss important opportunities to screen tenants:...

Now is the time to get ahead of recent trends and start your new year off on the right foot: Sticking Landlords with the Affordability Problem Tenant screening restrictions Affordable housing -- or the lack of it -- is the prevalent issue in many metro areas today....

In a move that is being touted as historic, Kansas City, Missouri City Council has passed a much anticipated tenant bill of rights. For landlords, it's not as bad as it could have been. Tenant rights have been in the forefront for some time in this city which is...

Whether you're a first-time landlord or a property-management veteran, success depends upon the commitment to actively manage the rental property. These three fundamentals form the backbone of property management strategy: Tenant Screening Leaves Less to Chance It's...

Berkeley, California City Council is moving forward with a proposed ordinance which would prohibit landlords from inquiring about a rental applicant's criminal history, including violent crimes. Several other cities -- Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis to name a few --...

Most landlords understand that there are circumstances when they must allow a tenant with a disability to keep a companion animal. But for some landlords, each companion animal request raises the same nagging question: what if this is a scam to avoid fees or to keep a...