6 Questions You Must Include In Your Rental Application

Landlords in Burbank looking for tenants heads up: always put them through a screening test. Ruthless as it may sound, the majority of property owners prefer future tenants go through a rental application process before they meet each other. While this makes shortlisting a lot easier, rental application has other purposes as well. People often miss out on some very important questions that can reveal the most out of an applicant.

If this is not something you can handle, then refer to a property management company who deals with rental property documents on a daily basis. They’ll make sure your rental application are completed with all the relevant and important information returned to you. 

Here are six crucial reasons why you should include these questions in your rental application.

Trust me, this will save you a lot of pain in the future.

1. What is your financial standing?

It is important to ask your potential tenant about their earnings i.e. their income. Questions related to how much they earn; how long they have been employed; and how often did they switch jobs, all matter. They give you a deeper understanding of the financial position of the possible tenant and their ability to pay up at the end of the month. Moreover, if you intend to charge a high rent, all candidates with low income will be ruled out. 

2. What other financial obligations do you have?

Sometimes, a tenant with high income appears to be a smart bet on the outside but by digging deeper, it may turn out that the majority of that income is being spent on bills, loan repayments and so on. This implies that the income left over can potentially be insufficient to handle rent.

3. Why are you moving in the first place?

Make sure to ask why the candidate is moving into your house on the rental application. At first glance, you might have thought “but that’s none of my business!”, it is though. If the potential tenant gives reasons such as family issues or problems that may affect the environment, you have a right to know. This is because the reasons will have an indirect impact on your relationship with the tenant (and god forbid with the authority, if they turn out to be a terrorist or drug dealer). This question can bring out the red flags that you otherwise wouldn’t have noticed.

4. Can you provide references of previous landlords?

This is a simple trick that requires some research on your part. However, it can yield good results. Make sure the rental application asks for references. These references should preferably be from former landlords, neighbors or employers. The current one would most likely be willing to give false information to get the tenant off his/her hands. The previous landlords, however, are under no pressure to lie. They are likely to remember bad tenants and will be more than willing to honestly inform you of what kind of people the potential tenants were.

5. Do you consent to have your background and credit checked?

Make sure this question is included in the rental application. Applicants who refuse to consent are automatically disqualified because they probably do not wish to share something they know will affect their chances negatively.

This is a very easy way to weed out all the troublemakers. As a landlord, it is well within your rights to know exactly who you are letting into your property. People who are unwilling to consent could end up being dangerous as tenants.

6. Do you own any pets?

Find out about their history as pet owners. This part gets a separate mention on the list because it is often overlooked. Some landlords are uncomfortable with pets in the house because they can cause many problems of their own such as damages to the property, health risks and so on. Including this question on the rental application will allow you to exclude pet owners (assuming you dislike pets and don’t want them anywhere on your property!).

My Property, My Rules

Screening is extremely important for landlords who particular about choosing the right tenant. Your rental application will act as the front line of defense. They are what the tenants have to face before they can face you. Thus, if you want to reduce the original pool of candidates, include these questions on your application and you’re good to go. After all it’s your property, you rule.