A thorough tenant screening process is an essential step

The last thing any landlord or property manager wants to have to do is evict a tenant for not being able to make timely monthly lease payments.

Another major cause of anxiety most landlords have with managing their own rentals, is worrying about their property’s condition and whether or not the tenants are following through with the regular maintenance requirements that are outlined in the lease.

There is nothing worse than having to invest thousands of dollars rehabbing a property every time a renter moves out.

While it is hopeful that our targeted online rental marketing campaigns would attract the most qualified and trustworthy tenants, Carnahan’s property management clients are relying on our experience and insight to protect their West Hills investment properties.

Step 1 – The Qualification Process:

To reduce the risk of having to perform an eviction, we have the following tenant screening systems and checklists in place:

• Credit Check
• Criminal Background Check
• Employment Verification
• Income Verification
• Rental History Verification
• One-on-One Interview

Today’s real estate market is producing an unprecedented amount of foreclosures.  Many homeowners are losing their homes and they will have no choice but to rent or move in with family or friends.

Especially with the current economic situation in West Hills, the general expectation is that many applicants will have some type of negative mark on their credit due to a recent foreclosure, short sale or bankruptcy.

Either way, it’s imperative that the property manager thoroughly reviews their credit to look for signs of credit abuse, previous evictions, unpaid utilities, a history of numerous late payments or any other patterns of defaults.

Step 2 – The Interview Process:

The most critical step in our West Hills tenant screening process is the live interview we conduct with each applicant.

After an applicant has filled out the rental application, and all other credit, background and employment checks have been completed, Carnahan’s Property Manager schedules an appointment with the prospective tenant to ask specific questions for clarification on our findings.

And while our office does not ever want our tenant applicants to feel like they are being interrogated, we do pay close attention to every aspect of the conversation to get a better feel for who is signing a lease agreement.

The interview process also allows us to build a mutual respect with our tenants so that they can have the confidence knowing we are a professional property management company that cares about our landlords and tenant relationships.

Our applicant interview process generally takes place at the office or in a convenient location for the applicant. However, there are circumstances where we’ll conduct a phone interview in cases where the applicant is moving to West Hills and not currently located in town.

Step 3 – The Final Decision Process:

To ensure that there aren’t any fair housing laws violated, each applicant is graded on an unbiased point system that takes into account their income, credit, rental history and several other factors.

This “score card” determines if the tenant is approved, approved with a larger security deposit or denied.

While Carnahan Property Management will accept input from our landlords, we take special precautions to ensure our staff and landlords are not violating any one’s rights as set forth in the Fair Housing Act.