Checking IDs on Tenant Applicants
Next time you’re processing a new tenant application, do yourself and your other tenants a big favor—look twice at the photo and name on the ID you’ve been presented. It could be fake--and the person presenting it could have an extremely sketchy past to hide.
Not all applicants are who they claim to be. Some people have plenty of reasons to falsify identification—mostly to hide legal issues or criminal past. Underage kids who aren’t old enough to sign a lease might be holding a fake ID. Even poor credit records or prior evictions will lead folks to present a phony ID.
But the majority of fake IDs are used by those with a criminal history to hide. And they’re easy to obtain. From large-scale, global operations to small-time operators right in your neighborhood, graphics software has made it a lot easier to produce official-looking driver’s licenses and Social Security cards.
How is a landlord supposed to spot the phony documents? We’re not suggesting you become an expert. All it takes to make sure you’re renting to the actual person on the tenant application is a thorough tenant screening. Did you know professional screening can validate your potential tenant’s name, address, and Social Security Number?
Now you do. Don't take chances. Check your applicant’s photo ID carefully, but do the smart thing and run a tenant background screening, too.