Should you use social media to screen possible tenants?

MINNEAPOLIS – It’s not exactly “Big Brother”, but landlords are looking at a lot more than just your work and financial history when choosing the best tenants.  In fact, renters are under the microscope now more than ever.

Twin Cities rental and real estate expert Trent Zachmann from Renters Warehouse says landlords not only look into a potential tenant’s financial and criminal backgrounds, they’ll occasionally conduct internet searches or browse a possible tenant’s social media accounts too before handing over the keys. He says most landlords only use the latter two when red flags pop up during any of their main screening areas.

Zachmann says background checks help landlords determine whether or not a tenant will be able to pay their rent on-time and every month, as well as be respectful of their respective properties. However, he points out that landlords can use whatever screening criteria they desire as long as they use the info they obtain in an non-discriminatory manner.

Source: kare11.com