Can Landlords use a Tenant Screening Service Directly?
Tenant screening is highly recommended for landlords when it comes to renting or leasing property. A tenant screening report provides comprehensive information on each of the applicants and helps the landlords decide on which applicant would be the ideal tenant for their property.
Initially, if landlords had to screen applicants to find the best possible tenant, they had to approach a letting agent or a broker to get the screening done. This process resulted in the landlords paying the letting agent or broker a premium for screening, as the agent or broker usually takes a commission for referring the landlord to the screening agency. If they decide to do the screening by themselves, the agent or broker had to invest a lot of time to do a comprehensive check of each applicant, in addition to their primary job.
Thankfully, the screening process has become much easier for landlords now, as they can hire a tenant screening service themselves through the Internet. All it takes is to search for "Tenant Screening Services" online and select the company with the pricing and services that they find best suited to their needs. This way, the once-complicated process of tenant screening has been made simple enough for landlords, so that they no longer have to rely on others to approach tenant screening services.
Online tenant screening services offer various packages based on the level of scrutiny involved, and it is up to the landlord to decide on which package is suitable for their needs. The checks involved in the screening process range from credit checks to checks of criminal records to ensure that the applicant would be able to make rent on time and don't have a murky past.
Tenant screening process has become more important than before, especially in the UK, with the Right to Rent policy, according to which landlords are held responsible for improper screening of their tenants.
Therefore, tenant screening is not just optional anymore, but a mandatory measure to ensure that the landlord doesn't end up in trouble for renting or leasing their property to a tenant who is present in the UK illegally. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to tenant screening, and for landlords it is highly advisable to screen their applicants to ensure that they don't get into any trouble with the authorities.