AAOA Blog

TENANT BACKGROUND CHECKS: Checking Personal References

Obtaining references on a tenant application is important for a variety of reasons. Collecting references is a worthless exercise unless you check them out. 

Contact the Current, Previous Landlord

The most important reference is the current landlord, followed by the previous landlord.  Be sure to ask about:

• The general impression of this tenant
• The tenant’s  payment habits
• Whether they obey rules  
• Do they respect the property

You will be surprised what you can learn in just one phone call.

Friends and family

Other references include friends and relatives.  These references are critical:

• In the event of an emergency
• To locate the tenant once they’ve moved out
• Key to any collector doing skip tracing on a tenant that left owing money

Cross check that the phone numbers of references are from the same geographic area that the  prospective tenant claims to be from.

American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services related to apartment management, including tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, technology, insurance and financing.  Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.

Premium and PremiumPlus members receive discounts on Tenant Background Checks.

For more information on Tenant Background Checks, see our interview with Fidelity Information Corporation CEO Jeff Cronrod,TENANT BACKGROUND CHECKS:  LITTLE KNOWN WAYS TO AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES. This exclusive interview is included on the American Apartment Owners Association’s CD series, Real Estate Investment Secrets, twelve exclusive interviews with industry experts that will supercharge your ability to locate the best investment properties and manage or sell them for maximum profit. 

Real Estate Investment Secrets is available exclusively through the American Apartment Owners Association. To purchase a copy, visit www.joinaaoa.org.  Join as a PremiumPlus member, receive all the benefits of membership, and this CD series is our gift to you.

For tips on how your tenant background check can affect your chances for recovery of unpaid rent, check out our series on the blog “Seven Vital Tips to Help You Collect Your Tenant Debt”.

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