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If you’re a owner/landlord who is not using written rental applications 100% of the time, here are 5 reasons why you should!

1. The practice makes everyone more comfortable. Perhaps there was a time when a handshake and a handful of cash were all landlords needed to start a lease. But in this era of liability, lawsuits, and legal obligations, proper paperwork is just a must. And tenants expect to fill out some form of application, too. It puts them at ease that you’re a legitimate business person who will handle the landlord/tenant relationship professionally.
2. It can protect you from liability. Requiring a rental application from each prospective tenant over age 18, as well as the names of all children who will reside in your rental housing, could reduce your liability for accidents or injuries that occur on the rental property. When your rental application clearly states municipal code limits on number of residents, fire code regulations, and emergency contacts for each tenant, you are more protected in cases of emergency.
3. It can protect your rental business from a discrimination lawsuit. Collecting the same information from every prospective tenant, then using the same criteria to choose each tenant, ensures that you are within the guidelines for discrimination laws. If you just talk to prospective tenants, and choose one based on whoever is most able to pay the rent, you could be setting yourself up for a lawsuit. A lawyer for a rejected applicant might have a great case, since you’d have no documentation as to why you chose a particular tenant. When you have paperwork like applications and credit reports to back up your decision, you’re covered.
4. You can gather the information you need to perform a thorough tenant screening. Rental applications should contain name, address, previous addresses, employment information, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and all contact information. They should also contain a signature page authorizing you to pull tenant credit reports and tenant criminal background screening reports.
5. You get a commitment from a prospective tenant. When landlords show apartments and rental houses, they too often let a great prospect get away. Presenting the prospective tenant with an application form and request for security deposit to “hold” the rental unit is a good way to get a commitment. Then, you can do a tenant screening to confirm he or she meets your criteria before signing a lease or rental agreement.

Legal disclaimer:
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for obtaining legal advice applicable to your situation.

Posted by Teresa

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.