According to the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse, Santa Rosa County, which Pace, Florida, belongs to, had 280 eviction filings in 2023. In 2024, monthly filings range from 20 to over 30.
Unless you perform a thorough tenant screening process for your Pace, FL, rental properties, you could face a costly, time-consuming eviction case yourself.
To that end, our team at Grand Realty put together this landlord guide on rental screening process steps and guidelines. So, read on for practical and compliant tenant background check tips.
1. Know What a Comprehensive Tenant Screening Process Entails
One of your most crucial goals as a Pace landlord is to get your property occupied as soon as possible so you can start earning income immediately. However, you must also consider your long-term profitability, which means you should rent out to tenants you'd want to keep renewing the lease agreement with.
For that reason, you must perform a comprehensive tenant background check, which includes screening each applicant for the following:
- Credit score and credit report
- Income and source of employment
- Rental background
- Eviction history
- Criminal background
Please don't skip any of the steps above; otherwise, you could be at risk of picking tenants who may be unable to afford rent in the long run.
Worse, you might end up renting out to a tenant with a criminal history who could put your property, other tenants, neighbors, or the community at risk of harm. According to NCSL, one in three Americans have a criminal record. So, there's a high chance you could encounter one or more of them when you list your property for rent.
2. Obtain Permission From Each Applicant
While it's your right to screen tenants to protect your property and income, you must also tread carefully to avoid violating renter laws and rights. One such right tenants have is to provide their consent before you can conduct background checks on them, as codified by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
To comply with the FCRA, you must issue rental applicants a consent form during the screening process. The form must clearly state their rights regarding the matter and that you're requesting their permission to check their backgrounds. The applicants must also sign the form before you can proceed with the checks.
3. Get Grand Realty on Board
Grand Realty is a full-service property management firm in Pace, Florida. When you hire us, one of our responsibilities will be to find and place high-quality tenants in your property. We'll perform all the background screening steps explained above to achieve this goal.
Our team comprises professionals with years of industry expertise in real estate and property management. With us on board, you can rest easy knowing that we'll find you great tenants while adhering to all fair housing laws.
Ready to Welcome High-Quality Tenants?
If so, consider partnering with Grand Realty. With our full-service solutions, which include marketing, tenant screening, and lease enforcement, we'll find highly qualified tenants for your Pace rental property.
Grand Realty is proud to have a team of experts with decades of combined local knowledge, real estate backgrounds, and property management experience. We're confident of our high-quality services, which we back with our numerous residential guarantees.
So, connect with us today, and we'll happily give you a complimentary property consultation!
