5 Reasons Landlords Should Verify Employment

Posted by Teresa on August 17, 2010 under Landlord Tips, Tenant Screening & Background Checks | icon: commentBe the First to Comment

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  1. An incomplete tenant background check may not provide information on a lease applicant’s employment and income.
  2. Verifying the employer listed by a lease applicant will indicate his or her honesty—or lack of it. If you call the number provided and the telephone is not answered professionally (or at all) you might have reason to suspect the potential tenant is not being truthful. Certainly, exceptions apply—especially for small businesses.
  3. Long-term employment is an indicator of stability. However, recent economic difficulties have put many talented and dedicated employees out of work. Landlords may need to be flexible on their standards until the economy recovers. Requiring all tenants to have held their jobs for two years, for example, could mean a record number of vacant rental units for you.
  4. It can help you determine whether a potential tenant’s income source is lawful or illegal. Sure, it’s nice to have tenants who have plenty of cash to pay their rent. But if they’re not legally employed or cannot provide proof of income, like pay stubs, you could be asking for big trouble.
  5. Verifying employment can give you peace of mind. Renting to qualified tenants with jobs is the number one concern of most landlords. Confirming your lease applicants’ employment can keep your cash flow healthy and reduce turnover in your rental properties.

The best time to thoroughly check out a tenant’s employment situation is before the lease is signed. Following this tenant screening procedure on every applicant will ensure that you are not discriminating against any protected groups and that you will be leasing to only qualified tenants.