Your landlord will probably see your credit rating, your salary, and a lot of other important information about you before you rent a home from him. Why shouldn't you have the same privilege? Indeed, leases can feel like a one-way street. For instance, how can you know your landlord will make repairs on time? How can you be sure he will respect your privacy? These are just some reasons why it's a good idea to use a service like check people on a prospective landlord.
Do Property Research
Property records are available through county sites or from the local court. These can inform you the home is in foreclosure or that your future "landlord" is not its actual owner, among other things. There are scammers out there who will take your security deposit and disappear. It does happen, albeit not often.
You can check the person online as well. You need to know their full name and state. Online background check sites reveal more than you can imagine.
Ask for Their ID
It's very easy to forge an ID or even steal someone's identity. To confirm the identity of the owner, check the land registry. You'll find the real land property owner's name very quickly through the government's land records service.
Ask Questions
Landlords are not required to tell you who the real owner of the property they're letting is or provide any personal information. Legitimate landlords won't mind answering your questions, though. You could start by asking them how long the last tenants stayed. If they stayed very briefly, you might ask about previous ones. A pattern of short stays could signal a problem.
You should also ask about who handles maintenance because most homes will require upkeep. If they tell you they work with a local company or handle maintenance themselves, this means they take care of the home. A hesitant response is a red flag.
Ask them about the neighborhood. It's not good if they don't know anything about the area. Unless they recently purchased the property, it might mean they don't care enough to keep an eye on the surroundings.
Ask neighbors what they think of the owner if you're looking at a private house. They will probably be honest because they're not renting from him themselves. If you want to rent an apartment, you could visit the area on the weekend. If you see anyone outside the block, ask them if they live there and if so, how they feel about the landlord. This will give you a better picture.
Ask for a Copy of the Lease
Get a copy of the lease, and any other documents landlords give tenants when the latter move in. These can include licenses, gas safety documents, or inventory lists. While none of these are hard to photoshop, many scammers won't take care of the details. They rely on the fact that people don't ask questions. The typical targets are inexperienced, such as foreigners or students. A scammer will either not have all of the required documents or allow for inconsistencies.
It's a good sign if your landlord is a member of a reputable landlord's association. Such associations frequently offer tenants recourse if their landlord is a member. Moreover, members will abide by the association's rules and the code of conduct.
Ask for a Payment Receipt
If the landlord doesn't offer a receipt in exchange for payment of the first month's rent and security deposit, ask for one. Of course, they could give you a fake receipt. Check the rest of the documents provided to see if the details are consistent.
Don't Fall for Psychological Attacks
This is an important point, even though it seems unrelated to background checks at first. Quality, affordable properties for rent are scarce. Whoever pays first gets the property. Tenants are pushed to make fast decisions. Scammers know this. Be on your guard if they ask you to pay via PayPal, Western Union, or a similar type of service. You don't have recourse if you want your money back.
Last Words of Warnings
Online listings are great enablers when it comes to property scams. Anyone can list whatever they want on these sites. Fake landlords will list occupied properties, properties that have never been rented, properties in unlivable conditions, or even properties that have never existed. Falling victim is easy because they list very low prices. When a prospective tenant calls, the "landlord" will convince them to rent the property and ask for a "holding fee," usually to be paid in cash. Then, they will disappear with the money.
