the major issues for you, and help you weed out the “bad apples,” they won’t find everything. Pets are a good example; they don’t normally show up on screening systems. You’ll just have to ask the candidate, flat out, as well as fill out your rental application form. Your rental application form should be thorough and cover areas often missed by screening systems, and all potential applicants should fill out the form. Not sure what to ask? Using minimum qualification standards is a good starting place, but consider putting the following questions on your rental application form: • Have you ever been convicted of a crime? • Do you have any pets? • Will any adults over the age of 18 be living with you? • Have you ever been evicted before? • Do any of the people that will be living in this house smoke? • What is your monthly income? • Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? • Have you ever had a foreclosure or short sale?
• Have you ever had a vehicle repossessed? • Why are you leaving your current residence?
As you can see, there’s plenty to consider when coming up with your comprehensive checklist of minimum qualification standards, and it can be a time-consuming process to put this all into place. However, it’s worth your while to do it, because, I’ll say it again, screening tenants is the most important component of renting out your property, and creating minimum qualification standards is necessary for the screening process!
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The lease is one of the most important steps in ensuring the
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