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Property Management – Northridge – Can you tell when an Applicant is Lieing

NORTHRIDGE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

How to Tell When Lease Applicants Lie—or Hide the Truth

Out of any 10 lease applications, how many contain lies, omissions or truth-stretching? Unfortunately, many will. That’s why landlords and property managers can’t assume every applicant fills out an application truthfully. If you’re lucky, the majority will be hard-working, honest people who are simply looking for a great place to live. But can you count on every applicant to tell the truth? And how can you tell if they’re not?

Verify, verify, verify! It’s up to you to do the digging and reveal the truth.

The best way is to do that is through a thorough background check, which can reveal the following information:

Whether the applicant has ever used another name.
If the Social Security Number listed is valid.
Whether the applicant has declared bankruptcy, and when and where it was filed.
Any liens or judgments against the applicant.
Whether the previous addresses listed are accurate.
Any addresses the applicant omitted.
Whether the applicant is listed as a registered sex offender.
Any flags on any of the addresses listed by the applicant.

What’s more, a background check can also tell you whether you can be confident in accepting the applicant’s check.

Of course, you’ll need to do some verification on your own, including contacting and talking to the applicant’s previous landlords and current employer. Be sure to verify that you’re actually talking to the property owner and a representative of the employer. Look up names and phone numbers online, and compare them to what the applicant provided.

Posted by Teresa

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.