Verifying references
So you’ve had your
apartment for rent and found a prospective tenant or several. Now you need to verify the tenant.
Besides doing credit checks, and the sorts, it's important verifying the information the tenant provided. Spending some time verifying references is an investment in time that will pay of long term.
If you would have followed our other article
screening for tenants you would now have all the reference
information you would need.
Questions to ask the landlord reference
- Did the tenant pay the rent on time every time?
- Did he follow the building and other non monetary rules?
- Did he get along with his neighbors?
- Did he give proper notice on move-out?
- How long has the tenant stayed in the current place and why is she moving out?
- If the tenant has already moved out of the unit did she leave it in good condition?
- If the tenant were to apply today would the landlord accept her?
The most important questions are #1, #2, #6 and #7. 7 is a great question since it gets the landlord thinking.
Questions for employer:
- How long has she worked there?
- Does she get along with her co-workers?
- If she were to apply there again would you hire her?
It’s a good idea having these questions written down or memorized. These questions will not only verify that the tenant is telling the truth but it will also give a good idea of the quality of the
prospective tenant.
Fake references
Some tenants give out fake
landlord and employment references. Preventing this is important but hard to spot sometimes. It can be done by purchasing credit
reports or verifying addresses by doing a reverse phone lookup. Other than that, trusting your gut when you talk to the references and tenants will come in handy.
This is not legal advice. Always ensure that you follow applicable Tenancy and Bylaw Regulations.
