Many property owners looking for tenants don't know the tenant screening process in Orlando. They know about background checks but aren't up on the latest laws on which questions can get asked.
Are you up on the Orlando tenant screening laws?
This article will cover the three types of tenant screening in Orlando. We'll even cover what questions you can ask in the process. You'll also learn how a property manager can help protect you in the process.
Orlando Tenant Screening Process
The Orlando tenant screening process helps property owners ensure their tenants are good people. They want to make sure that they won't have any problems with their rent or property. The landlord can check an applicant's criminal background, credit score, driving record, etc.
There are three types of tenant screenings that you can do in Orlando. These include a full, limited, and employment screening.
Full Background Check
A full tenant background check reviews the applicant's credit score, criminal history, driving record, etc.
You can do a national screening that includes information throughout the whole country. You can also use regional or local tenant screenings. The caution is that you may get sued if you do it in the wrong way.
Limited Background Check
A limited background check isn't as thorough as a full one and only includes a partial credit check.
An Employment Screening
An employment screening is like a job interview with the potential tenant.
You should always check state laws before conducting someone's criminal history. To avoid a lawsuit, it's important to do it the right way so that you can avoid any potential problems.
Questions Not to Ask
The Federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to ask potential renters questions that discriminate. Discriminatory questions are unacceptable to protected classes including the following:
- Religion—Landlords can't ask about the person's beliefs or religion.
- Children—Asking about children is taboo, but you can ask about the number of occupants that will live on the property.
- Disability—You're not to ask about whether the person has a service animal. But if you see a service animal you can ask for the animal’s certification status.
- National origin—You can't ask which country the prospective tenant is from.
- Marital status—You can't ask about the person's marital status including married, single, divorced, etc.
Other questions to avoid relate to sexual orientation, age, name change due to marriage or divorce, and military discharge.
Allowable Questions and Activities
To play it safe, it's best to only ask questions that are a part of the screening process. The key is making sure you ask all applicants the same questions. You'll also want to use the same procedure for all applicants.
If you run a background check on one applicant, make sure you run one on all applicants. You don't want to treat applicants that dress better than others in a different manner than the rest. Otherwise, this line of questioning will assume to be discrimination.
Running background checks with the applicant's permission is your right. Asking non-discriminating questions of all applicants is also your right. But it's best to double-check your questions before promoting rental property.
Or, consider hiring a property manager to handle these issues for you.
Tenant Screening Services
There are three ways for screening tenants in Orlando. Certain questions must be avoided.
A property manager can offer tenant screening services that take care of the process for you. They can also consult on how to screen tenants so you're protected.
Contact Verandah Properties, LLC to learn how a property manager can help with your vacancies. You'll also learn how they'll help keep you safe during the tenant screening process.