In 2020, over 5.5 million Americans faced criminal charges. As a landlord, it is imperative to ensure that all potential tenants are legally abiding individuals. This is not only important for your comfort but the well-being of your current tenants.
Criminal background checks are one such approach to keeping your property safe. Continue to read to learn more about effective criminal background checks.
What Is a Criminal Background Check?
A criminal background check refers to when an individual's criminal, sexual offender, and driving records are reviewed. In the case of an apartment complex or rental home, all of these records are evaluated before one is allowed to rent the property.
Criminal background checks are often performed on candidates before employment. Occupations such as child care or nursing require background checks before hiring.
Why Do Criminal Background Checks Matter?
Protecting the safety of your clients should be of the utmost importance. Your property is likely the home of families. The last thing you would desire is to have a sex offender close to a child.
Background checks also assist you in a significant way. As a landlord, you have the ability to select tenants. With this flexibility, you can choose the highest-quality tenants.
Once you select a tenant, you may have a long-term relationship with them. In turn, you will want to work with people who have a good reputation and are pleasant to do business with.
Another benefit of criminal background checks is they will allow you to see the potential tenant's eviction history. If a potential tenant has a complicated history, you know that the individual may not be the best fit for your property.
A background check is not free unless you do an informal search. Having a potential tenant agree to a background check demonstrates that they are committed.
How To Perform a Criminal Background Check
There are multiple approaches to performing a tenant criminal background check. If you are trying to find out if a potential tenant has been arrested or is a sexual predator, an informal browser search may be sufficient.
All you have to do is type the individual's name online and what specific information you are seeking. This method is free and convenient.
If you desire a formal and comprehensive background check, you can hire a professional service to perform one. This can cost as low as $12, or more than $40.
A professional service will provide a detailed report about the individual. You can get this report within 48 hours in most cases.
Kona Property Management
At Kona Property Management, we believe that tenant quality is critical. This is why we encourage property owners to invest in criminal background checks either formal or informal.
If you have an apartment complex or rental property, hiring a property manager can be beneficial. An experienced manager will handle your property professionally and with care.
To learn more about hiring a property manager, check out more of our blog today.
