Landlords - how do you scan your tenants to prevent bad ones?

Guy_Montag

sooz wrote: »

i agree about the punctuality!!

as well as the refs, don't forget to run a credit check on all the adult tenants. you need their written permission to do this, but have a look at some tenant credit check companies and from them you can print a great application form for prospective tenants.

they need to fill in their full name, address, passport number, number, bank address, car registration, next of kin etc.

I keep lots of copies of this handy when showing properties, and find the people who don't want to fill this in, are not the kind of tenants i want to have in my properties!

Are you trying to find a tenant or steal their identity?

You can whistle for that mate.

In determining whether any disclosure of personal data is compatible with the purpose or purposes for which the data were obtained, regard is to be had to the purpose or purposes for which the personal data are intended to be processed by any person to whom they are disclosed.

Data Protection Act 1998

So how are the passport number, car reg & next of kin relevant to your position of landlord?

Name, address & bank address - I can understand.

Funny that everyone here is so keen on punctuality, I'm inclined to agree with that. Whenever I have an appointment I always plan so that I can miss a train or a tube line is down & still get there on time, even if it means I end up sitting in a nearby cafe drinking coffee for an hour.

peter999

sortofok wrote: »

References can be useful indicators but this is my golden rule :

If they are due to meet you at the property at, say, 2pm, and they have not arrived by 1 minute past or not phoned to say they are late -forget them.

You're full of gems. :rotfl:
Can't you see this is rule for you, not a rule of Life.

It indicates nothing other than your own prejudices !!

peter999

peter999

david29dpo wrote: »

no one covered with tattoos, even worse if spelled wrongly. rings on every finger is a no-no, blinged up with gold chains and a pitbull? run a mile. i AM being serious!

More prejudices !!

Keep em' coming.
Don't forget the ones you don't want to say.

peter999

sortofok

Peter, when you have experienced as large a number of tenants as I have over the years you will understand.

Generalising from such a large sample is perfectly legitimate and I offer this only as a guide to new landlords. It's up to them if they take my advice or not.

This is a "help" site after all.

sooz

Guy_Montag wrote: »

Are you trying to find a tenant or steal their identity?

You can whistle for that mate.


Data Protection Act 1998

So how are the passport number, car reg & next of kin relevant to your position of landlord?

Name, address & bank address - I can understand.

Funny that everyone here is so keen on punctuality, I'm inclined to agree with that. Whenever I have an appointment I always plan so that I can miss a train or a tube line is down & still get there on time, even if it means I end up sitting in a nearby cafe drinking coffee for an hour.

The correct form has to be filled in by the prospective tenant and signed, in order to comply with the DPA. This information in this form is the basis for the credit check.

Passport number is needed to check the tenant's identity & immigration status. I see there are now plans to fine landlord's who rent to illegal immigrants - another £20,000 fine!

Car registration is needed for resident's parking registration.

Next of kin is needed in case of emergencies. I think there is a thread somewhere on here(or maybe on landlordzone) entitiled 'help, my tenant has died!'

roses

I get them to fill out credit check forms but don't actually pay to get this done.

- If they are willing to fill it out then that is good enough for me. You can verify they work for who they say they do by asking for a business card & calling their company switchboard & asking to be put through or sending an email to their work address.

- you can verify their bank details are correct by using this website:
http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/demos/happy/validator.aspx

- you can check they live where they say they do currently by checking on the electoral roll on http://www.192.com/

- you can check if they have any CCJ's by checking this website:
(forgot the URL, will post later!)

All this can be done for free once your tenants has filled out the credit check form.

I had a credit check done on my very first tenants & it was absolutely useless & told me nothing I couldn't find out myself using the above websites!

I also get home owner guarantors if the rent is more than 1/3 their take home salary.

I have never been stiffed by a tenant or a landlord. I think there are more good tenants/landlords than bad but as the saying goes "a good thing happens, you tell 1 person. a bad thing happens & you tell 10 people" which is probably why it seems as though there are more bad tenants/landlords than good ones!