Would you rent to someone with no credit?

[ontariolandlord]

In Ontario, we are not allowed to receive a security deposit. So it is even more essential to check the credit of your potential tenant to protect yourself and your investment.

QUOTE (Berubeland @ Jul 15 2010, 08:44 PM) when you`re in a bad area or renting a basement apartment you have to select from the people who apply. A suite can`t stay empty forever.
In this case, I would recommend selling and buying a property in a more attractive area.

 

[kornel]

QUOTE (RebeccaBryan @ Jul 14 2010, 10:54 AM) Send your tenant to the main police station in the city you are in to ask them to get a criminal check. It will cost them $30 in AB. I take $30 off their first months rent because sometimes that makes a difference whether they will consider my appartment for rent or the one next door and I explain to them that they should be happy I am asking for one as the tenants in my building are less likely to do criminal activity.

Thanks Rebecca! I like the justification you use when requesting it. Instead of the prospect feeling it`s another hoop to jump through, it actually becomes a differentiator between you and competing properties. I`ll definitely be using that one. Sounds like a win-win as it gives the tenant additional piece of mind.


Thanks everyone for sharing some of your preferred practices too!

Kornel Szrejber
[email protected]

 

[Goodstuff]

Sherilynn,

You said to ask for the tenant`s email address so you can check them out on facebook.

But don`t they have to first accept you as a "friend" on facebook before you can see anything about them?
Do you ask to be their friend? Do they always accept?

Thanks for your help.

 

[kornel]

QUOTE (Goodstuff @ Jul 19 2010, 02:31 AM) Sherilynn,

You said to ask for the tenant`s email address so you can check them out on facebook.

But don`t they have to first accept you as a "friend" on facebook before you can see anything about them?
Do you ask to be their friend? Do they always accept?

Thanks for your help.

People can modify how much of their info is available to everyone (friends vs non friends). So some people will have restrictions on what you can see when you`re not their "friend", while others will be more open and let you see their info without being accepted as a "friend". It doesn`t take long to find someone so it`s worth a shot as the learnings could be significant. IMO.

 

[sstokes]

Just Google-ing an applicant`s name can yield a lot of information also. Facebook isn`t the only site where people post information about themselves. I`ve managed to find out that one applicant was an outstanding student at her highschool (from the highschool website), and that another was dealing E! You don`t need their e-mail address to get that info.

 

[RebeccaBryan]

QUOTE (Goodstuff @ Jul 19 2010, 12:31 AM) Sherilynn,

You said to ask for the tenant`s email address so you can check them out on facebook.

But don`t they have to first accept you as a "friend" on facebook before you can see anything about them?
Do you ask to be their friend? Do they always accept?

Thanks for your help.

I`m just suggesting that the email address is attached to facebook. If your tenants name is "John Smith", they are going to be more difficult to find without an email address. Many facebook users divulge information about their new job, location, etc on facebook to friends and sometimes you can access it through their facebook, and if not, often through one of their friends facebook pages that doesn`t have a restriction on it.

 

[Sherilynn]

Goodstuff, I think the replies above have pretty much answered your question. I will add that even if a person`s Facebook profile is completely restricted, sometimes their photo says volumes about them.

Of the tenants I mentioned before, one of the profile photos made the person look like a gangsta drug dealer...not exactly the persona he presented at the interview. And while I would never condone choosing tenants based on how they look, I would certainly consider which "face" they prefer to present to the their friends and family.

An avatar can be yet another piece of the information puzzle.

(FYI, I was not yet a member of the cult of Facebook when I choose the above tenants. Once I had joined and viewed their profiles {completely unrestricted}, I saw the scary photo.)

Regards,
Sherilynn