According to a 2023 article by ProCon.org, in 2022, there were 4.6 million disenfranchised Americans. Disenfranchised means they can't vote due to a felony conviction. It also wrote that of these disenfranchised individuals, 451,227 call Tennessee home.
With such high rates, you'll likely encounter one or more of them applying as a prospective renter for your Clarksville, TN, property. However, you may never know if they have a felony history if you don't run a comprehensive tenant background check.
To that end, our team at PMI Clarksville put together this guide on running rental application checks. Read on for tips on conducting a comprehensive tenant screening process.
Adhere to Criminal Background Check Laws
According to the Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research, landlords must follow guidelines and laws set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding criminal background checks. For example, as a landlord, you cannot:
- Refuse rental applicants based solely on arrest records
- Enforce a blanket ban on all renters with a criminal background
- Conduct housing practices regarded as discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act (FHA)
- Implement an inconsistent tenant background check process
So, before you run criminal background checks on your tenants, study federal and state housing laws first. The more you know, the less likely you'll commit screening mistakes that can get you sued and result in you facing hefty fines.
Don't Skip Steps
As mentioned above, you must not conduct inconsistent tenant screening and background checks. Therefore, if you plan to perform the steps below (which you should), you must do so for every applicant:
- Tenant criminal background check
- Credit check for tenants
- Renter income and employment source verification
- Rental and eviction history screening
- Landlord reference check
Landlords risk facing legal complaints or lawsuits if applicants learn that they skip some checks on specific applicants. For example, they may sue for discrimination if they discover that a landlord only does criminal background checks on people of color (a protected class under the Tennessee Human Rights Act) and not white applicants.
Hire a Property Management Company
Since comprehensive tenant screening is full of legal complexities, it's easy for first-time and accidental landlords to commit pricey mistakes when conducting this process. Such errors can lead not only to legal violations but also to delays in tenant placement.
So, rather than risk it, why not hire our full-service property management company, PMI Clarksville? We conduct all necessary checks while ensuring legal compliance. With our skills, expertise, and state-of-the-art technology, we can quickly find you quality tenants.
Simplify Your Tenant Background Check Process
While it's your right to conduct a tenant background check, remember that it can be time-consuming, complex, and full of legal implications. If you're not careful, you may end up violating housing laws.
Protect yourself, your property, and your income by partnering with PMI Clarksville. We'll find you quality tenants, and for your peace of mind, we back our services with multiple guarantees, including our 21-day tenant placement, on-time rent, and happiness guarantees.
So, if you're ready to simplify managing your Clarksville rental, speak with us today. We'll gladly give you a complimentary property analysis!
