Finding a tenant can be a very difficult process.  Choosing the wrong tenant can potentially lead to a never-ending debate between the landlords and the tenants. However, it is possible to find tenants who will cause no problems and always make payments on time. The first impression and general outlook of the tenant can be based on your decision-making process and their background.  These things may help you decide whether to admit or dismiss them from your property. Besides these two factors, other critical factors that homeowners in Orange County, CA need to check when admitting potential tenants are discussed in this article.

Select a Tenant with Good Credit

The whole idea here focuses on picking a financially stable client. Payment of rent is among the major disputes between tenants and homeowners. As such, choose a client who can pay their bills on time, showing proof of their ability to meet the rental fees. Though getting the credit score of a tenant comes with a cost, it’s worth the money in the long run. Because checking a client’s financial information can be deemed unlawful, following the appropriate procedure is imperative. The process of getting this information can be done by running a credit check.  This checks the grace period of bill payments and establishes a tenant’s income-debt ratio.

Conduct a Criminal History Background Check

Criminal history and other related information are public records. They can be obtained from an array of courts in California. Their criminal record will show both minor and serious offenses. This is invaluable information for you to have before deciding on a tenant for your property. Moreover, those tenants with criminal records may attempt to provide fake details for themselves, and this process makes sure that you obtain original identification documents and not scanned or photocopied ones.

Follow the Laws Governing Tenancy

The Federal Fair Housing Act was designed to protect against class discrimination when it comes to housing. Therefore, homeowners are mandated by law to treat all tenants equally. A homeowner must keep you abreast of all existing laws governing tenancy and abide by them diligently. Furthermore, breaking these laws leads to hefty fines and harsh sentences.

Trust your Instincts

Many homeowners have a habit of conducting excessive screening and ignoring their instincts. Though screening is not bad, it is also important to listen to your own feelings about a person. A tenant may look perfect on paper but give you an awful feeling. There is normally a reason for this, so trusting your instincts can also be beneficial.

Conclusion

Despite all the difficulties associated with finding a tenant, you can always subcontract the task to an agent. Always scout around your neighborhood for firms offering agency services. Seek pieces of advice from fellow homeowners on who manages their property. Do due diligence on the selected firm to be sure they best suit your needs.

JAM Properties, LLC is a trained group of professionals that you can reach out to for all of your real estate needs.  Contact us today, and our team will be happy to assist you.

Phone: 949-438-4343

Email: info@jampropertiesca.com