As of 2021, the population in North Carolina was 10,052,560, and many of these individuals rent places to live.

If you're a landlord, you might receive dozens of applications for each available unit you have. Your job is to choose the right tenant for the unit from these applications.

The best way to handle this task is through proper tenant screening procedures. Here is a breakdown of how to conduct tenant screenings for your rentals.

Charge an Application Fee

Screening tenants is vital to ensure you choose good ones. The downside is the tenant screening process takes time and money. You can cover some of these costs by charging an application fee.

You can determine how much to charge, but you should consider requiring this fee. This is one of the best landlord tips a property management firm can tell you.

Charging a fee has several benefits. First, it weeds out individuals who might not pass the background test. It also eliminates people who aren't serious about renting. A person will only pay the fee if they really want the unit.

Many landlords take the fee off the first month's rent for the tenant they choose for the unit.

Consider the Qualities You Want

Landlords should create guidelines of the qualities they look for when selecting tenants. Doing this creates a system to follow and protects you against discrimination cases.

Most landlords look for several things when they screen tenants:

• Job security
• Income
• Credit score
• Criminal history
• History of on-time rent payments

These qualities make a person a good candidate as a tenant. But running a tenant screening is the only way you'll know if a person meets these qualities.

Therefore, running tenant screenings should be a routine part of your application process.

When a person applies, ask them to sign a consent form that allows you to run a tenant screening. You must do this before you perform background checks.

Run Various Tenant Screening Procedures

Tenant screenings can include several steps, depending on what you want. However, to find tenants that will be good ones, you should consider running several checks.

First, check the person's credit. A good credit history reveals a lot about a person. It primarily tells you if they pay their bills on time but also tells you how well they manage debt.

Next, check their criminal background. This screening reveals if they have a criminal history.

You can also run an income verification screening. This test tells you if they're employed and how much money they earn from their job. You can also run other screenings, including a past landlord check.

Hire a Property Management Firm to Do It

Performing tenant screening procedures is vital when selecting tenants. But running these checks requires knowledge, time, and effort. Fortunately, there is an easier way - hire it out.

Contact us at Carolina Property Management, LLC. We offer tenant screening services and other property management services in Charlotte, NC. We can help you find the best tenants and relieve these duties from your plate.