|
northeastern Ohio | My family has had rentals for 50 years. In the past 10 years, the renters have come up with a new scheme to get past credit checks.
Here's how they do it: only one person will show up and fill out an application. This is the person with good credit. No mention of anyone else. The story they give is that it will be just one person living there. You do a credit check and it all looks good. They sign the lease (the lease always has a space to fill in who will be living there). Then a few days later there will be two families moving in. Kids, boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, grandkids, ect. They make the bedrooms everywhere they can: basement, garage, living room, camper, tent! Yes, I had one person living in a tent in the back yard!!!
You can then choose to live with the situation or evict them. Evicting usually results in stall tactics by them to get 2 months free living. You have to give them 30 days notice and then you go to court 30 days after that. Then the judge can give them anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to move. You then get to go back to court to get a judgement against them for the rent and damages. Then you hire a collection agent to find them and garnish their wages. You usually get about half of the judgement amount.
I give you the above information as a warning to make sure you dig deep into your applicants. Check their social media. Visit them at their current home. Talk to their references. And do a criminal check.
To do a criminal check, you need to know everywhere they have lived in recent years. And all the names they have used. That is the other way they get around checks: multiple names. I've had women use their boyfriend's last name on the application when they never had their name legally changed. Or they make up a name entirely! Or use the kids name or parents name. Or change it slightly. Had one that real last name was Faulkner. But she put down Faulk.
It is a challenge! But when you find a good one, it can be great. I have one lady that has been renting from us since 1982: 42 years!!!! And several others that have been 10 to 20 years. But recently I've had a lot of one year wonders. Good luck! | |
|
options for credit checks
