Property Managment – Granada Hills

 GRANADA HILLS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

How Credit Reporting Myths Can Affect Tenant Screening

Every property manager and landlord has a different perspective on how to analyze the creditworthiness of  prospective tenants.

Some landlords and property managers simply look at the credit score and make a judgement based upon that number. Others run a full credit report and carefully analyze line-by-line to get a more comprehensive picture of the tenant’s demonstrated desire and willingness to pay bills on time.

Like most other things in life, there are good and bad attributes to each method.

For the hectic, time-crunched landlord with piles of applications for a single unit, the simple credit score approach serves a time-saving function that allows them to rate prospective tenants using an ascending/descending hierarchy before taking other attributes into consideration.

At the same time, many landlords/property managers have learned that investing a little extra time into reviewing the individual applicant’s full credit report can reveal some counter-intuitive discoveries.

Take for example, tenants who have struggled to rehabilitate from stresses beyond their control, managing unexpected debts while grappling with job losses and other fiscal challenges. As these tenants begin to turn the tide and get their financial lives back on track, often they vow to cancel credit card accounts and other unsecured lines of credit once they’ve paid off the debt, believing this will improve their credit score.

Unfortunately, this is one of the many myths that exists in the vexing realm of credit scores. While paying off a debt and closing a credit account will certainly provide a great deal of personal satisfaction, the cruel irony is that it will very likely lower the prospect’s credit score.

Why?

Because while tenants reduce their overall debt (which is a great thing for everyone except the credit provider), they also reduce the amount of available credit. Ironically, this may have a negative affect on their credit scores. The actual impact it has on their credit scores is affected by a myriad of factors, including how much credit they still have available to them, and the makeup of their personal credit history.

This is just one example of the many myths about credit scores that continues to perpetuate, confusing both tenants and landlords alike. This article from VantageScore exposes several additional credit score myths that can affect what you find when you screen tenants.

The moral of the story? A simple credit score does not always paint the whole picture.

But the more you understand about credit scores and credit reporting, the better you will become at choosing the best tenants. That may mean speaking more in depth with the prospective renter. It also may require investing more time for a thoughtful review of the applicant’s full credit report. Quite often, the full credit report can tell a story that a simple number will never fully convey.

This post is provided by Tenant Verification Service, Inc., helping landlords and property managers reduce the risks of renting with fraud prevention tools that include Tenant Screening, Tenant Background Checks, (U.S. and Canada), as well as Criminal Background Checks, and Eviction Reports (U.S. only). 

Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.

Since 1946 the Carnahan name has had a reputation for honest and ethical Real Estate Property Management services in the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Burbank/Glendale, Los Angeles, Westside and Conejo Valley areas.

The reason for our success is helping owners like you when they need it. Below is a partial list of property management services we provide to help you protect your real estate investment.

• Tenant placement
• Tenant screening (including: credit check, landlord and employment verification, social security trace report, California eviction check and criminal check)
• Regular property inspections
• Accounting and landlord bill payment
• Monthly financial reporting
• Maintenance service and supervision (we use only proven independent vendors)
• Collections
• Evictions
• We supply all the necessary forms to meet California’s Landlord/Tenant laws
• 24 hour emergency phone service
• Advertising to the broadest tenant base possible

Call or e-mail us today for more information. We’re ready to get started!

• Carnahan Property Management services Woodland Hills,West Hills, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Tarzana, Reseda, Topanga, Encino, Northridge, Van Nuys,North Hills,Chatsworth, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, West Hollywood, San Fernando Valley, Granada Hills, Mission Hills, Simi Valley, West Lake Village, Agoura,Toluca Lake, Valley Village, Burbank. Call us at (818) 884-1500 and check if we can service your area.