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How to Screen a Tenant & Where to Get a Lease

07 April 2020

One of most important things a landlord can do is to find a tenant screening system they like, and to do it every time without deviation. This is ultimately for your protection as the property owner, and something that most tenants expect during the application process anyway. It doesn’t matter if you’re renting a room in your house or you’re a real estate investor renting many units, experienced property managers will tell you that creating your own tenant screening system is simply the best thing you can do to produce the highest quality tenants possible.

If you’re wondering how to run a credit check or do a background check on a new tenant, there’s actually some pretty good news for landlords. KeyCheck offers free tenant screening and criminal background checks - including a free tenant eviction report as well. Where some credit checks fall short and fail to show the entire picture, online tenant screening reports from KeyCheck provide you with criminal records, payment history, TransUnion credit score, and provides the tenant’s eviction history to help ensure you get the whole story.

KeyCheck leverages industry-leading data and analytics to provide you with in-depth free tenant screening services to ensure that you choose the best tenant possible. Keycheck tenant screening reports are paid for by the applicant as part of the onboarding process, where the landlord receives the final report in their dashboard. Renters will be able to view a copy of completed reports in their Keycheck dashboard.

How to screen a tenant with KeyCheck:

  1. Create a KeyCheck account and enter your dashboard.

  2. Select “Properties” to add your property (an import feature is available for Furnished Finder hosts)

  3. After you add a property, select “Renter Screening” where you can invite a tenant to complete a KeyCheck screening report (soft pull - won't harm their credit score).

  4. The tenant receives an email with instructions on how to complete and pay for the reports.

  5. You’ll get an email when your reports are ready to view and will be stored for 60 days in your KeyCheck dashboard.

Start screening tenants here.

The second most important thing a landlord can do is to secure a tenant with a comprehensive, state-specific lease. A lease not only protects you as the property owner, but also gives the renter assurances and protection as well. Similar to screening tenants, the most successful landlords have a lease that they are comfortable with and use every time without exception. The industry standard for leasing tenants is typically anything for 1 month or longer, but since there are so many short term rental landlords in the longer-term lease market right now, you can absolutely have tenants sign leases for weekly as well.

So where do you get a residential lease agreement that is easy to create, written according to regulations of your specific state, and is available for download in minutes? Keycheck is the preferred source for custom leases which are available to create straight from your dashboard. Keycheck leases are also valid for all property types (including rooms, basements, sublets, studios, backhouses, apartments, condos and more) and are continually updated by LawDepot to ensure your lease is legal and provides you and your tenant with the most protection possible.

How to get a custom residential lease agreement from KeyCheck:

  1. Create a KeyCheck account and enter your dashboard.

  2. Purchase the lease ($29.99 for 12 months of unlimited leases).

  3. Start customizing the lease agreement according to your property, state, and specific requirements.

  4. Review and download the completed lease in minutes.

Start building your lease here.

Many landlords use the same lease year after year which may not be the best practice because it won’t reflect the most recent state laws and rental regulations. Even riskier, repurposing a lease agreement you find online or that a friend gave you may not provide you (or your renter) with the protection you expect. Purchasing a KeyCheck lease gives you the comfort of knowing that they’re built by legal experts and are continually updated as required, giving you the protection you need from a professional residential lease.

Leases are dynamic and should reflect your intent accurately when renting space to a tenant. With a KeyCheck lease, you can tailor your lease specifically to each tenant including security deposit, monthly rent, pet policy, notice to vacate, parking, roommates etc... For many landlords, putting together the lease is the most stressful part of the entire rental process, but with KeyCheck, you simply follow the prompts and answer the questions on the screen, then the lease is automatically generated for you. From there, you can download the lease and use it immediately. Once that tenant leaves, you simply come back to your dashboard and update the lease for your next tenant. Good luck, and happy renting.

About KeyCheck:

KeyCheck.com is a trusted source for landlords to get free tenant screening reports and order custom leases for any state. Our credit check reports include the most accurate credit, background, and eviction data available to ensure you have the best information on the tenant you’re screening. The best thing a landlord can do is to have a system that works and repeat the same process for each tenant. www.keycheck.com

For more information on how to get started as a host for travel nurses, be sure to check our parent company’s website Furnished Finder.

About Author

Brian Payne
Parker, Colorado

Co-Founder & CEO of Furnished Finder, KeyCheck, and Principal at Travel Nurse Housing.