Resident Screening Cory Knight Private Investigator Florida

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESIDENT SCREENING (AND HOW TO AVOID FAIR HOUSING VIOLATIONS) by Mark S. Alper, CMI
Tens of thousands of individuals and organizations are involved in the leasing of rental property in the United States. Some of these organizations are substantial in size, with thousands of units in their rental portfolio. Other rental property is leased by individuals who have purchased small properties for investment purposes.
What these housing providers have in common is that their property or properties represent a substantial commitment of financial resources. The difference is only in the degree of the investment.
The fact of the matter is that it only takes a short time for a resident to turn an otherwise attractive, well-maintained, highly marketable unit into an uninhabitable disaster. When a resident doesn't pay rent for a month or two, the property Owner (commonly referred to as the "landlord") experiences a financial loss. If the resident commits a crime, is involved in the use, sale and distribution of narcotics, or harasses neighbors and/or other residents, the Owner may be further liable. Insurance premiums may increase and the reputation of the Owner and the property may suffer.
After two decades involvement in the housing management profession, it is always surprising to me that, considering the financial investment involved, most rental housing providers don't have a thorough, investigation-oriented screening process. It is equally surprising that these same individuals complain continually about damage, vandalism, and nonpayment of rent (and accompanying increases in insurance premiums and legal fees). The fact is that a proactive investigation prior to entering into a lease would likely have identified potential or actual problems or concerns.
There are, to be sure, rental organizations which do "bare bones" methods of screening, such as a basic credit background profile and perhaps even a criminal background check with local police agencies. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, and it is absolutely one hundred percent better than doing no background checks at all.
But, with rental housing at a premium in the United States these days and litigation on the rise, rental housing providers owe it to themselves and the integrity of their investments to undertake a comprehensive background investigations program for their prospective residents, employees and subcontractors.
My goal since joining AIS is to design an aggressive, informed, legal and beneficial background investigations process for use by rental housing providers. A process that will meet the housing provider's goals and objectives, provide the maximum degree of protection, and at all phases comply with the Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988, Americans with Disabilities Act and other state-focused civil rights regulations.
As an example, an AIS background check on a potential resident would include:
Credit background (from all agencies)
Criminal background (in one state or several states depending on where the prospect has lived previously). NOTE: Some states do not permit criminal background investigations, and we will comply with the law in force for the state.
Verification of Identity, including identification of any aliases used
Current and prior landlord references, including interviews with current and former neighbors
Other judgements...including lawsuits and related claims
Other information as requested by the client, provided such information can be lawfully and properly obtained.
A background check on a prospective employee or subcontractor would include all of the above, plus information concerning whether the employee or subcontractor has been a defendant in a civil rights action (i.e., Fair Housing discrimination, ADA discrimination, sexual harassment), and the outcome of such an action.
We are also able to do ADA and Fair Housing investigations on behalf of our client, with the focus on assisting in the identification of discriminatory conduct on the part of employees and subcontractors. In this way our investigation assists the housing provider in determining corrective and remedial action before a lawsuit occurs. We are, to our knowledge, the only investigative firm in the nation with a strong focus and expertise in this area. Our commitment to civil rights means that we will not undertake any investigation that violates these regulations (such as selective investigations on minority or disabled applicants, for example), or where the client's goal would be to discriminate.
Providing quality housing fulfills a basic, human need. Fulfilling those needs in an educated, informed and thorough manner is an essential component of real estate investments and management.
At AIS, our ultimate commitment is to excellence in serving our clients. If you are also committed to high standards of professionalism in the rental of housing, and to the broadest possible protection of your property and community, we invite you to contact us. We stand behind our work, and look forward to being of service to you.
Mark S. Alper is the former director of residential screening and services investigations for AIS. He is a former employee of HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, and continues to be a nationally recognized trainer, writer and educator in housing regulations.