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January 30, 2008
Suggestions for tenant background checks?
We recently purchased a brownstone in Fort Greene and need to find a new tenant for the apartment above our unit. If we decide to not use a broker, how do we do our own background check (credit check, prior rental history, eviction history, etc.)? Are their websites/companies that people can recommend? Also, do people suggest calculating affordability on 41 times monthly income or closer to 50 times income? Finally, I know a lot of people use brokers. I did not have great experiences with any as a renter, so I'm reluctant to use one as a landlord. If we do decide to use a broker, how should we find one? just call the standard Bklyn firms and get assigned to someone?
Your help are much appreciated.
Comments
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Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 2:03 PM
brokers for renters are a ridiculous waste of money but most landlords don't care about that because they pass that cost to someone else. I'm assuming you're going to try and get top dollar for this ft greene rental, I think you get much more qualified applicants who are interested when you don't use a broker. I am a well qualified renter with great credit and I NEVER consider rentals offered by brokers who require the prospective tenant to pay the fee. more so, its your home you shouldn't force someone else to pay for a service that you chose to get. its not very hard to put in the foot work and make sure you're not letting a psycho live in your house.
Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 2:13 PM
for background checks, you can sign up with Topherinvestigations.com
Call us at: (888) 444-5144
Be aware that you have to demonstrate that you own the building, etc, before you can just start getting financial information about folks.
We've used this firm frequently, and are happy with their quick and thorough work.
As for brokers, we have tried with and without and have been about equally happy (obviously there are trade offs). The more expensive the rent, though, we try to go without a broker just to save the tenant the $ (esp. since we require a 2 month deposit in addition to first month's rent).
Good luck.
Posted by: curiositykilledthecat at January 30, 2008 3:07 PM
as a small owner - less than 10 units- unless the sales market is really dead - I never get any real effort on the part of brokers. I spent 10 years without brokers or vacancies, 10 years with brokers and for the last five years, I do my own renting
the brokers lie and misrepresent to either push marginal tenants or maintain inventory
Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 4:20 PM
To 3:07pm.
You need the signed consent from the potential occupant applying for the
lease not the owner.
This applies to credit checks, etc..
Posted by: Ysabelle at January 30, 2008 4:49 PM
Ysabelle, 3:07 here
You are 1/2 right. Yes, the background check requires the prospective's signature, but a responsible background checking firm also requires some evidence that the landlord is legit and doing background checks for a legit reason. Hence, the firm we use required evidence that we own the property AND signed consent from the prospective tenant. I was trying to answer the OP's question, which is why I only mentioned the later.
Posted by: curiositykilledthecat at January 30, 2008 4:59 PM
I would recomend the company CrimCheck. Check out thier website at http://www.crimcheck.com
Posted by: guest at January 31, 2008 10:15 AM
Tenant Verification Services is good. Use craigs list versus a broker.
Posted by: HomeSweetstuy at January 31, 2008 1:01 PM
intelius
Posted by: guest at February 2, 2008 12:00 PM
While I do not use a broker for the rental process (I do it myself via ads), I use a broker to run the credit and background check. I go to Location Location Location in Fort Green. They charge $40 for each credit/background check. Any broker should be able to do this for you for a fee without you using them to rent to property/apartment.
Posted by: guest at June 6, 2008 10:19 PM
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