# Background check for potential renter **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554 "2007-04-25T04:09:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SiouxChief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@SiouxChief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiouxChief)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/1 "2007-04-25T04:09:35Z")
My brother asked me to help perform a background check on a guy who has applied to rent my brother’s house. What’s the best way to do this? What sort of information should I be looking for? He has lived in both Kentucky and Ohio over the past few years, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/2 "2007-04-25T04:12:24Z")
I have had some renters in my life. I learned do not ask where they presently live. If they are bad he will say anything to get rid of them. Go back to 2nd and 3rd places to get the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/3 "2007-04-25T04:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=SiouxChief] What sort of information should I be looking for? [/QUOTE] Check references. Look for frequent moves. - someone who has to move every year could be a problem. A credit report. If you want to go deeper, you could get a criminal history. You may need the applicant’s permission for some of this. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/4 "2007-04-25T04:59:11Z")
The only time I was checked out for an apartment rental was when I moved to Hawaii for school. Seemed to be mainly, if not exclusively, a credit check to make sure I could pay the rent. Judging from the rents there, I can’t say that I blame them, but being a poor student back then, I was rejected every time, even though my credit history was good. Finally managed to find a place in the Makiki area. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/5 "2007-04-25T14:49:08Z")
When I did this kind of thing I had a favorite question. I would phone who ever they list as references. Explain who you are, ask a few innocuous questions; “How long have you known X ?”, “How do you know X ?”, “Is he/she a nice fellow/gal ?”. Then you slip in the teller; “Have you ever known X to not fulfill a financial obligation?” The answer is not near as important as the length of the pause before the answer! I was a landlord to students in a university town for 15 yrs, and I considered it a real gem when it was passed on to me! Hope it helps you out! ---
**Author:** ![Electrical\_Storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/6 "2007-04-25T16:50:55Z")
Your state’s Department of Corrections or Department of Public Safety may offer some or all of a person’s criminal history, if any exists for that person, but just for that state. You’d need to contact the Corrections or Dept of Public Safety for the other states the person has lived in to get criminal history from those states. Might be worth the money to try to get an FBI criminal history check done, though I believe you need the person’s authorization - could be wrong, but is worth a check: > **[Welcome to fbi.gov | Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://www.fbi.gov/)** Check the national sex offender registry for good measure. (Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Registry) Then maybe you could check the references for a final decision if there’s no criminal history that would be of concern. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/background-check-for-potential-renter/401554/7 "2007-04-25T17:51:12Z")
Many potential renters back away just after being told you are going do to a credit check and need references. They know they have horrible credit, so they don’t fill out the application. Just asking for this info is a good step that helps trim the dead weight. I’d verify that you are actually talking to the legal owners of the properties in question when doing references. If he says he lives in 123 Main St and the landlord was Joe Smith, call the town’s tax assessor and verify that Joe Smith is actually the legal owner. Then check the phone book to make sure the phone number given matches the one for that person. It’s easy for a renter to try and have a friend give a reference if he’s got a bad history.