It might feel a little strange running a background check on someone you've met. It seems like an invasion of privacy, or it could come off as unnecessary if you got a good impression from the person. 

While it's good to follow your gut in most situations, it's best to keep the practice of running a tenant criminal background check on all potential tenants. 

We're going to explore why that is today. Hopefully, our look at reasons to run a tenant background check will give you some good insight into things to look out for when screening tenants. Let's get started. 

1. Protecting Your Community

The most important aspect of the tenant application process is ensuring that the people who live around your unit are going to be safe. Someone with a long history of violent crimes might not always be the best person to have living in a community of unsuspecting people. 

That isn't to say that anyone who commits a crime shouldn't be considered, but it's important to know who you're dealing with so you can make a decision about whether or not you want to rent to them. 

2. Liability Control

Next, you want to ensure that your property is in good hands. After all, a rental property doesn't do you a whole lot of good if the tenant destroys it. 

A background check can show you whether a tenant has done damage to previous units or behaved recklessly with other landlords' property. You always expect a little depreciation when renting, but significant damage can be avoided if you find the right tenants. 

Someone who seems perfectly kind and considerate might have a history of wrecking apartments when they disagree with a landlord, for example. Those are the things we're looking out for. 

3. Positive, Lasting Relationships

You don't need to be your tenant's best friend, but it helps if you have a good relationship with the person. Mutual respect leads to long tenancies, safe property, and fewer expenses. 

Someone who lives at your unit for a long time saves you the time and expense of marketing the place, having showings, running further background checks, and more. It's always a lot cheaper to keep the same tenant than it is to find a new one. 

For insider knowledge on how to fill your rental property with reliable occupants, please click here.

4. Timely Payments

Another piece of the rental application and background check puzzle is determining the person's payment history. You'll see if there have been payment issues in the past. 

You want to ensure that the individual has enough money to afford the unit, but it's another issue entirely to see if they will still pay you each month. The best way to determine that is through background checks and references. 

Want to Learn More About Running a Tenant Criminal Background Check?

Hopefully, our look at the value of running a tenant criminal background check was useful to you. There's a lot more to learn about owning rental property, though. We're here to help. 

Contact us for property management resources in North Carolina, pricing, landlord tips, and a whole lot more. 

Check out this link for a landlord-friendly tenant screening checklist. https://carolinaspropertymanagement.com/blog/a-helpful-tenant-screening-checklist-for-landlords