We’ve never actually done a credit check on our tenants for our four units. This time we need to. Who/What service is everyone using? Suggestions? There’s just so many options, I want the most straightforward, easiest and cheapest, I don’t want to get caught in one of those yearly fee deals.

I used the National Association of landlords. I paid a one time fee, and never paid anything afterwards so i don’t think it’s an annual fee type thing. Might want to check it out.

I used http://www.westsiderentals.com.

I don’t know exactly how they work now but back then I just had to list my property with them and I got free credit checks. I think because they generate revenue from prospective renters, they pass the cost on to them.

I am in now way affiliated with them, I actually had to google-fu it because I forgot what their name was.

irvine_home_owner - 19 September 2009 12:28 AM

I used http://www.westsiderentals.com.

I don’t know exactly how they work now but back then I just had to list my property with them and I got free credit checks. I think because they generate revenue from prospective renters, they pass the cost on to them.

I am in now way affiliated with them, I actually had to google-fu it because I forgot what their name was.

IMHO, the larger PM firms in the area are the bastion of slumlords.  I won’t deal with them as a tenant because invariably everytime I’ve looked at one of their units, they’re a slum.  They’re dirty, beat up and dated trying to squeeze just below premium pricing out of the unit.  As a landlord that might be good, but I suspect turnover sucks and if you have a nice property it won’t be long.

I’ve used Tenant Verification Services Inc. in the past (www.tenantverification.com).  Its services were priced reasonably, and I wanted credit report as well as Lexis-Nexis search info, both of which were available when I last used it about a year ago.  I paid per report, not an annual sign up fee.

It’s great checking credit and calling up references, but sometimes you just have to go by your gutt.  I’m been fairly fortunate by going with my gutt.  It is also important that you rule with an iron fist because if you give your tenant an inch they’ll try to take a mile.