Information to require from applicants:
- Full names of all adults (18 and up). You will want to be able to put the names of all adult residents on the lease. This will help if there are any legal issues in the future regarding responsibility for rent or other fees. It also allows you to be certain of unauthorized tenants - since authorized ones are on the lease and submitted an application.
-Number of total residents. As a general rule, you want no more than 2 people per room, plus one. For example, in a 2-bedroom unit, you would want no more than 5 people.
- Social security numbers. You cannot run a credit report without a full name and social security number. Date of birth can sometimes be necessary. Needless to say, you will want to be careful with this information. Credit reports are done by three companies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experion. There are, however companies that help you run credit checks and background checks. Some examples are:
- TVS
- You Check Credit
- E-Renter
- Pet information. If you are allowing pets in the unit, you will want to know how many pets and what kinds of pets will be in the home.
- Residential History. One of the best ways to know what kind of a tenant will be is to find out what kind of tenant they have been. Asking for 2-5 years of rental history allows you to call previous landlords to see if they: paid rent on time, had complaints, gave notice, had an eviction, etc. Please remember to be polite and considerate of the landlords you contact. Asking for this information also shows you that the applicant is accustomed to paying rent and living in a rental unit.
- Employment History. Asking for 1-2 years of employment history will show you if the applicant has kept up a steady job and thus a steady source of income. Do not worry if they have had multiple jobs, just that they have had them.
- Paycheck stubs. A great way to determine if someone can afford to rent a unit is to see how much they make. As a general rule, you want someone with a total household gross income of 3 times the rent. This generally allows people enough money to pay all of their bills.
Information you CANNOT ask for:
(unless you are renting out a room in your personal residence, you cannot ask or judge an application according to the following list)
- Religious affiliation.
- Race
- Sexual orientation
- Age
- Education level
- Marital status
