How to Do a Background Check On a Tenant

Carrying out a private investigator background check has become an essential requirement for any landlord. Failure to perform simple background checks before renting out property has resulted in thousands of pounds in damages or even liability in legal cases. For many landlords today, contacting a private investigator to perform a background check is part-and-parcel of the renting process.

When a landlord needs a private investigator to perform a background check on a tenant, it's important for them to understand the extents and limits of such checks to get the best results.

However, there are many other good reasons to perform a private investigator background check before allowing a tenant to rent your property. These include:

• Assessing their financial circumstances: This will enable you to know if they're likely to fall behind on their rent or bills
• Checking their references: If the tenant has rented property before, this can help you to find out the sort of tenant they are and whether they're likely to be a nuisance
• Screening for potential criminal activity: No landlord wants their property to be turned into a criminal den and this is a real possibility in some cases

The information provided to private investigators to initiate background checks is quite basic. The landlord will have to provide the tenant's name and a way of contacting them e.g. email or phone number.

The private investigator has to contact the tenant for consent. This will be required if the information that is of primary interest to such a background check is financial in nature. Other private investigators may take it a step further and also request information such as the employer of the tenant and their address.

The financial information required in a private investigator background check for tenants can usually be accessed immediately, or in a few hours. However, there are certain kinds of information that will take a little longer to get. For example, a DBS check can take as long as 8 weeks to process. This process can take a long time depending on the level of disclosure requested and whether or not there is a backlog of requests at the DBS.

Additionally, the process can also be delayed if employers and former landlords take a long time to respond to requested information e.g. confirmation of employment.

Some of the information that can be uncovered include:

• A history or late payment of rent
• Utility bills left unpaid at other properties
• Complaints from neighbours
• A poor financial situation
• The tenant's identity may be forged
• The tenant may not be a UK citizen or have a right to rent etc.