Thank you for your timely response and explanation of the difference!

As new Landlords, we were excited about finding this site. The electronic application process was wonderful as it allowed us to simply enter the applicant’s name & email address then sit back and wait to view the three reports (Employment, Background & Credit). The applicant paid the fees and your service handled the consent forms & other authorizations.

The contract was nice too but we did run into some glitches:

First, it doesn’t have option to pull any information from rental application. We tried to find the applicant’s address & phone numbers to get started but they were not viewable so we had to call them.

Once entered we were moving along well but it didn’t pull any information set up originally with applicant such as Pet Deposits, Non smoking, state variances, etc.

Once finished, we purchased the contract download. The download could not be saved. We even tried copying it into MS Word and had difficulty saving the soft copy. There were several typos, spacing issues and grammatical & punctuation errors.

We had to add property description, correct verbiage to state house rather than apartment, insert missing paragraph on Inspections (copied from sample), delete repeated paragraph, etc.

Overall, I believe the terms of the contract will serve as protection to us but I thought you might like the feedback.

We have already told several people about your site (Realators, Investment Bankers, Insurance Agents and other acquaintances).

Thank you again!

Eugene
Kellyville, OK

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Welcome back!

You guys are a wealth of information. Thanks for helping us little guys out. Yes, I love my tenant too.

Cherie

I use Craig’s List as a way to find my tenants. I have found several good matches this way. I always post in my adds that I require an in person appointment and that I will require a credit & background checks.

This way it helps to weed out the scammers and losers. Thanks to Renting Authority, I have the ability to screen them, even though I am just one person with one property renting out separate rooms.

Beth

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Thanks, for what it is worth I plan to use your system for my rentals in the future; this is the place where I believe I have been lacking. I like the online option.

I have four rentals currently and have one that is about to be ready to rent again so I plan to run your checks on any potential renter.

Thanks,

Bob

Stanwood, WA

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Yes, employment verification is an extremely important step in the tenant screening process.  A renter needs a good job so he or she can pay the rent.  Let me give you a list of things to inquire about.

One of the most important things is to pay attention to is: who and how the business phone is answered.  Why, because some people will give you a friend to call and pretend they are the employer.  The phone should be answered with a business name.

Ask for the applicant’s supervisor or boss.  This information should have been provided by the applicant on the application.

Asking the right questions is key to getting the right info.

We ask the following questions:
-    How long has the applicant been employed there?
-    Is he or she currently employed there?
-    Is the job full time, part time or temporary?
-    How many hours a week does he or she work?
-    Verify the monthly income.  (Employers may require copy of singed authorization for this)
-    Does their job future look good?

Order an employment report now.
http://www.rentingauthority.com/employment_rental_reports/

Renting Authority Provides third party employment history reports
Log into the Property Owner’s Toolbox at http://www.toolbox.rentingauthority.com

1.    Select Past Rental and Employment Reports.
2.    Click the box for Employment Report,
3.    Fill in the needed information and we take care of the rest.

You receive your Employment Report in 24-48 business hours

The Cost is only:
$6 for Employment Verification
$6 for Rental History Verification

Only $4 each for Gold Members
Upgrade your membership now
https://www.rentingauthority.com/cc/pay.php

Click here for sample employment history report
http://www.rentingauthority.com/sites/employsurvey.htm

Click here to login and order rental history reports now
http://www.toolbox.rentingauthority.com

Troy Boldt

888-674-9181
tboldt@rentingauthority.com
http://www.rentingauthority.com

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Recently, I had a great conversation with one of Renting Authority’s members.  He mentioned that he always video tapes his properties before a tenant moves in.

This is really a great idea that I need to share with you.  Here are a few tips.

Date the video and show the new tenant in the video.  Hold up a newspaper if needed.

Outside: video the outside and include the yard, fence, sidewalk, stairs, rain gutter, roof (if possible), doors and locks, windows and exterior of structure

Inside
Walls: make mention of holes and paint condition
Carpet: wear, quality and condition
Kitchen: show functioning appliances - plumbing, kitchen condition
Bathroom: show functioning plumbing, cleanliness, lack of mold (I hope)

Let the tenant know you have video documentation of the rental’s present state.  Video taping will help safe guard you from lawsuits.  It is great documentation.  This also eliminates disputes about the condition of your property once the tenant moves out.

Spending an extra 30 minutes video taping before a tenant moves in could save you a lot of money and headaches down the road

To your success,
Troy Boldt

tboldt@rentingauthority.com
www.RentingAuthority.com

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I did find tenants, and am using your rental application, basically for peace of mind, and as you suggested, you only have one chance to get that information.

While I didn’t initially want to rent, I am forced to in order to stay afloat, and not go into greater debt.  I have decided to use just a monthly rental agreement, and I have been and will be relying on my past renting experience and what I’ve read from your e-newsletters so far.  Thank you very much.  Your e-newsletters have proved helpful as I inherited renters when I bought this place this last year, and had to deal with legal issues, so I’ve been “thrown into the pot” with both feet.

Thank you again for your newsletters Mr. Boldt.

Renah

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Several landlords have asked, “Should I charge an application fee?” My answer astonishes some. Yes.

Three reasons why:

1.   Application fees start the filtering process
If an applicant is unwilling to pay an application fee, you may have a difficult time collecting rent.  You are in charge, it is your asset, and you make the rules.

2.   Covers your costs
Screening prospective tenants cost you time and money.  Recover as much money as possible.  If you have to screen 4 tenants to find the right one, it will cost about $100.  Don’t go in the hole $100.  Collect the application fee upfront.

3.   Reduces discrimination lawsuits
Charging differing prices and not charging at all on some applicants, opens you up for a lawsuit.  Charge a consistent fee.  Even if you feel sorry for someone. Please don’t misunderstand me.  I am not being cold hearted.  Attorneys look for inconsistencies like this to create a discrimination lawsuit.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me.

Sincerely,

Troy Boldt

Renting Authority

888-674-9181

tboldt@RentingAuthority.com
http://www.RentingAuthority.com

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I am giving someone a 1 year membership upgrade for free.  That’s a $119.40 value.

In the holiday spirit, I wrote my own 12 days of Christmas.  I call it The 12 Days of Tenant Screening.  I wanted to sing and record it for you, but after one recording, I scraped the idea.  Your ears will thank you for this.  Here are the words.

Enjoy

On the first day of tenant screening

My reports returned the following to me:

1 And a perfect credit score

2 Forgeries

3 Late pays

4 Poor credit scores

5 Burglaries

6 Liars lying

7 Falsified Docs.

8 Tenants paying

9 Armed robberies

10 Dealers dealing

11 30 day lates

12 Rent checks bouncing

Contest Rules

Write and or sing your own version and email it to me.  The winner receives 1 year free membership upgrade. I will also post the winning lyrics on our site.

Here is my favorite 12 days of Christmas from Jeff Foxworthy.  Don’t watch it if you don’t want to laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suqWNk1vi0o

Have a great Holiday,

Troy Boldt

888-674-9181

tboldt@rentingauthority.com

http://www.rentingauthority.com

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Credit Score
The credit score indicates what type of a credit risk a person poses to a potential creditor.  Here is a simple break down:

550 and below is poor
600 to 650 is fair
651 to 700 is good
701 to 750 is great
750 plus is excellent

Report Summary
This report shows the number of 30, 60, and 90 day late payments a person has.  This section also shows credit limits and the amount of debt a person has.

Collections
This section shows which accounts have gone to collections.   You can view the  debt amount and if the debt is  paid off.

Public Records and Judgments
This area shows bankruptcies, liens, judgments, and evictions.

Creditors and Financial Obligations
This gives a detailed account of extended credit.

Other Reports
We have created an Applicant Rating Report.  This helps you know how one applicant compares to other applicants across the country.  Use the drop down menu in the credit report to view the Applicant Rating Report.

If you need any assistance, please call, email or chat online.
Thanks,

Troy Boldt

888-647-9181

tboldt@rentingauthority.com

http://rentingauthority.com

Online support at:

https://messenger.providesupport.com/messenger/chazing.html

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