Mail Verification Of Rental History: Fill & Download for Free

So I have had this happen a number of times, usually totally non-responsive (they don't answer phone or email inquiries). I even recall a couple of large apartment complexes where I spoke with some employee there, but they could not locate the records! And I had the tenant applicant's credit report showing address history with the applicant residing at those places!Before answering what to do when a landlord is unable to provide verification of a tenant applicant's rental history, it is first enlightening to see how one - namely me - would go about getting the tenant applicant's rental history.So as a landlord evaluating a tenant applicant's rental history, I start with two things - the written history the applicant has supplied as part of the application paperwork, and the credit report's address history. I first check to see whether they are matching; often a tenant applicant will not disclose a prior residence where the landlord is likely to speak unfavorably of the tenant. And if I have an eviction report with addresses, I will add those to the list and I will start with those, because if I can verify a prior eviction that might be reason for automatic rejection - it cuts out a bunch of potential effort.Armed with a list of addresses, I then go to the county records to attempt to identify the property owner at the time that this tenant applicant resided there; properties do get sold, so the latest owner might have no record of the tenant (but might be able to put you in contact with a former owner, in the event that ownership history is not readily traced otherwise). If I get a bit of luck, I now have an owner and the owner's mailing address (where tax bills are sent is usually what you get).At this point I will verify any information supplied by the tenant applicant with what I have discovered on my own, in order to get a measure of the tenant applicant's honesty. Nobody likes to deal with dishonest people.With the owner's information, I attempt to track down a phone number for the owner independently of any phone number the tenant applicant may have provided; this is really important to do so as to not be scammed by a tenant applicant who is giving a fake number (one for a friend of theirs) where you will only get information favorable to that applicant. I then check whether the tenant's application gives a phone number that matches to the number I found independently; if it does, the applicant scores more points for honesty.So at this point, I have either found the owner's phone number on my own, or I have to rely on a phone number that the tenant applicant has provided; if I am going to use the phone number supplied by the tenant applicant, I will do a reverse lookup on that phone number first, to see what information I can gather that way. That phone number could even be on an active online ad (maybe for an available rental unit even).EDIT: The question came up on how to perform the reverse phone number lookups. Here is a resource for cell phone lookups that I came across since I posted this answer:National Cellular DirectoryThat page will list one hour each weekday (it changes from day to day so you have to visit / follow that FB page) where they will allow you to do a lookup for no charge. For a landline, I tend to use whitepages dot com: https://www.whitepages.com/reverse-phoneSo time to make a phone call to somebody; if I use a number I found, I am fairly certain I am dealing with the property owner; if I am using a number supplied by the tenant applicant, there could still be some doubt as to who it is that I will be calling, so some carefully chosen questions are put forth to the person on the other end of the phone in order to ascertain whether this could be the actual property owner or not.Perform the above procedure for any and all addresses found for the tenant applicant's prior residences.And after all that, with a bit of good luck, the tenant's rental history can be verified. Maybe not for each prior address, but at least for the majority of them.So with all of that going on, there are a number of points in that procedure where a failure could occur. Which brings us to directly discussing the question that was posed.There are some goofy things I have found. More than once I have seen the tenant applicant's credit report contain non-existent addresses; if all other info from the prospective tenant's application was honest, I look to see whether those addresses were mistakes made by the creditor where that applicant was seeking to obtain credit - yes, this happens, for example sometimes handwritten characters on the paperwork get misinterpreted, sometimes data entry errors happen. I tend to toss out bad addresses for otherwise honest applicants.In any case, if you have an otherwise honest applicant, you can ask the tenant applicant to provide some evidence of proof of payment of rent; after all, this is the biggest thing impacting the decision to accept an applicant (although there are other behavioral things that a landlord might also give input on, you won't get that from a non-responsive one). Maybe there are money order records, cancelled checks, even ACH transfers from tenant to landlord. Not as good as getting that from the landlord, but sometimes that's the best you can do.Whether you are a landlord or tenant, how to proceed is somewhere in all of that.

Treat your tenants with respect, courtesy, and fairness at all times. Show them that you care about their welfare and right to the peaceful enjoyment of their home. Do this even if you are annoyed with them, don't want to hear their complaint, can't handle another request. don't like them, or the rent is not paid. Even if you want them to move out yesterday.Screen, screen, screen! The more thoroughly you screen, the fewer problems you will have. Good screening is particularly effective at avoiding the very big, very expensive problems. This is no place to save money and time. You can do the employment verification, rental history, and criminal checks yourself. It doesn't cost much to get a credit check, eviction report, and if you want, background check, through an online landlord assistance/property management company if you don't have enough properties to be allowed to get these yourself.Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance! Save a lot of big money later by keeping up with maintenance on a routine basis and as it is needed.Get thoroughly familiar with The Fair Housing Act and your state's landlord/tenant law. Comply with them to the letter. They are simple (in most states) and can save you time, hassle, angry tenants, complaints to state and federal agencies, potentially heavy fines and penalties for violations, potential monitoring and checks by agencies, high tenant turnover, and small claims court suits that you would lose.Respond to requests for service promptly. If you refuse a request, explain why and do everything you can reasonably to satisfy the tenant, as long as the tenant is also being reasonable. Once you establish with tenants that you will respond promptly and that you care about their welfare, you will find them more reasonable with you and more tolerant of inability or unwillingness to do some things.Never forget dignity and professionalism or get into fights with tenants, no matter how badly they behave or how wrong they are. Fighting with them verbally or by mail, email or any other means only puts you on their level. You should remain the person in authority, the professional who knows the business, everybody’s legal rights, what must be done and how it should be done, and that you will see that it gets done, even though you and they are equals legally and socially. You don't want them to see you as one of the children fighting in the sandbox. That would seriously undermine your authority and encourage more complaints, whining, and unreasonable demands - or even deserve a law suit or complaint filed against you. It also looks bad if they take you to court, even if you are right. You're the one who's supposed to know better, be the professional, and do the right thing.If you are in this business or going into this business, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Welcome to the United States of America! Here are a few things that you will find useful or interesting to know when visiting our country.MeasurementOutside of industry, the metric system is not used. We measure distances in miles, feet, yards, and inches. A mile is about 1.6 km; a yard is a little less than a meter; there are three feet in a yard, and an inch is about 2.5 cm. (Well, 2.54 cm, by definition.) We measure volume in gallons, quarts, and cups (and pints and tablespoons and teaspoons and.... the list goes on). Fuel is sold by the gallon. A quart is slightly smaller than a liter; there are four quarts in a gallon. Temperature is measured in Fahrenheit.For the rest of this answer, I will use metric terms since that will be most meaningful for the international audience.Size and Public TransportationThe United States is incredibly, unbelievably large. Not as large as Russia, but still large. Large enough that travel at times becomes difficult.To drive from New York City to Los Angeles (for our major cities, we do not reference the state they are in because everyone here knows what state they are in), expect to travel approx. 4500 km in 40+ hours of driving (not counting stops for sleeping, refueling, eating, and other necessary activities). Or you can get a plane ticket and fly there in about 5 or 6 hours.Speaking of flying, unless you are traveling between major airline hubs, expect to have one or two layovers as you transfer flights. Direct city-to-city air service is limited.Public transportation is only convenient within major cities. Between cities, public transportation is limited and may not be available. Small towns may have no public transportation options at all. Along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts there are rail lines with regular service between major cities. Amtrak provides cross-continental service. In some areas, Greyhound provides bus service. Other options that may be available for intracity transport include Uber, Lyft, and taxi services.This lack of public transportation is largely due to the vast amount of rural space between cities. It is not cost-effective to support a transportation infrastructure in areas that are not densely populated.If you have a driver’s license, issued by any country, you are welcome to rent a car and drive it yourself. The rental car will almost certainly have an automatic transmission. You may be able to rent a sports-model car with a manual transmission, but it will be at additional cost. If you have the means, you could even have your car shipped over here for the duration of your trip, but you will not be able to sell or register it in the United States unless it has been modified to meet our safety and emissions standards.RecreationBecause of its size, the United States has an incredible variety of scenery. Some regions have a greater variety than others. In the coastal Pacific Northwest where I live (Oregon, Washington, and northern California), it's possible to live in a major city and within two hours driving distance, visit an ocean beach, go alpine skiing, explore a desert, a rain forest, kayak among pristine islands, or hike world-class trails.In other regions, you can drive most of the day without a significant change of scenery, but there still may be unadvertised local recreational opportunities. The Midwest may not offer beaches or mountains, but there are many lakes, forests, and other wild areas that are open for exploration. If you are wanting to get outside, ask around.Speaking of hiking, you will be limited to hiking established public trails. Unlike some countries, you generally cannot enter private property without permission from the landowner. Americans are very protective of their private property. This partly stems from the Independence movement, and partly from fear of legal tort, whereby an injured party can sue the landowner for damages, even if the injury is the fault of the injured party. Many private landowners will gladly allow you to cross their property if you ask first; but if you fail to ask, you may be asked (or forced) to leave.CarsMost Americans -- and all Americans in rural areas -- have cars. This is partly because the public transportation infrastructure is so limited. Americans also have a love of driving and the feeling of independence it provides. Even if public transportation was widely available and convenient, most Americans would still rather drive themselves because owning a private car grants you the independence to go wherever, whenever you want. Most states tax only the purchase of a vehicle, and that tax is usually less than 10% of the sales price. (Some states, including Oregon, charge absolutely NO taxes on the purchase of a car.) License registration costs are usually relatively low, but vary by state. Fuel taxes are low compared to many other nations, and also vary by state and locality. The base price of fuel -- not including taxes -- is also relatively low.Americans love road trips; on holiday and summer weekends, expect national parks and other public attractions to be very crowded with very full parking lots. If you are fortunate to stay with American friends when you visit the United States, they will LOVE to have you ride around in their personal car while they show you the sights. Despite the impression that discussions of politics and religion may give, Americans are proud of their country and love to show it off.Rental cars are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Most cars -- whether rental or privately owned -- have automatic transmissions. Most Americans are now incapable of driving a car with a manual transmission. In fact, when you come to the United States, you may not even be able to rent a car with a manual transmission.Drivers in America generally abide by traffic laws and are respectful of other drivers. However, many drivers go up to 5 or 10 mph (8–16 km/h) over the posted speed limit on rural highways. Speed isn't strictly enforced in many areas, but some areas it is. If you're not the fastest car on the road you probably won't be pulled over. :-)Most states require seat belt usage. Many states allow an officer to stop you if you or your passengers are not wearing seat belts.Most road signs are text, though the number of iconic road signs are increasing. Our standard road signs are completely different from those used in Europe or many other countries. Being able to read and understand English is important if you will be driving.CuisineMany Americans enjoy a luxury they fail to recognize we even have: an incredible selection of food. Think of anything you might want to eat: within a few hours, you will be able to either prepare that food or find a restaurant that serves that food. (Except for horse, dog, and cat, the meat of which is illegal to sell in the United States because people are offended at the thought of eating pets.) Fresh strawberries in February? Yup. There are no "in season" items, though some items may be available in a frozen or preserved, rather than fresh, form.Ethnic fare is readily available. East Asian restaurants are common and popular.Our markets are huge and have a mind-boggling selection. For example, it is not enough to just have rolled oats, there will be large display of rolled oats in several different brands, numerous package sizes, and even different flavors. It is almost unheard of for a market to not have a product in stock.(I can think of no truly or uniquely American delicacies. There are some regional foods. It is my observation that a delicacy is something your ancestors ate because they were starving. The history of white settlement in North America does not include widespread or long-lasting famine, so there has never been a necessity of finding non-traditional food sources. Those delicacies enjoyed by some Americans are traditions borrowed from the home countries of their ancestors. In fact, most recipes are derived from traditional recipes from other countries.If there is any food at all that is very American, it is the hamburger, a ground beef patty between 0.5 and 1 kg before cooking, topped with fresh lettuce and tomatoes; pickles; ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, or other sauce; and sandwiched in a soft bun made of white wheat flour. Optionally, it is topped with either cheddar or American cheese, and then is called a cheeseburger. Other toppings may be used, but those are the most common. The hamburger or cheeseburger is by far the most popular single culinary item among Americans.)LanguageA note about language: Americans use the term vacation to refer to a pleasure trip away from home. A vacation can also be time spent away from work, usually more than one day. Taking a single day off of work is simply referred to a taking the day off or a long weekend. The term holiday refers to a day of religious significance (such as Christmas, December 25) or a nationally-recognized day when businesses or government offices are closed (such as Independence Day, July 4). So while in some countries, you may go on holiday when you skip work for a trip to the beach, in America you go on vacation.Americans are fairly tolerant of people speaking broken English or with a strong accent. However, few Americans are multilingual. Spanish is the second-most common language spoken in the United States.Personal IdentificationOnce you enter the country and have been processed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (popularly called just Customs), there will be no requirement to register your location or surrender your passport. You will be expected to not overstay your visa, but that is on the honor system. You will need government-issued photo identification containing your photo, your legal name, and your date of birth to purchase alcoholic beverages and tobacco products as a verification of age. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcohol; 18 years or older to purchase tobacco. (In the states where it has been decriminalized, you will need ID to purchase marijuana, too.) This ID could be your driver's license, your passport, or other government-issued ID containing that information. The information on your ID will not be recorded for these purchases. (Exception: cold remedies containing Pseudoephedrine will require recording of your identification. This is because, by law, the amount you may purchase in a particular time frame is limited, to combat methamphetamine manufacture.)Keep your identification in your possession at all times. If you hand it to someone, don't let it out of your sight. Identity theft is a huge problem in the United States, and the information on your ID could allow someone to commit fraud in your name. (Exception: when stopped by a police officer, they will request your driver's license. They will take it to their patrol vehicle for processing, and return it to you.)PoliceDon't EVER try to bribe the police. The police in the United States are well compensated, and don't feel the need to supplement their incomes with bribes. In fact, if you do try to bribe a police officer, you WILL be arrested. If you are issued a citation, it will generally give you two options: pay a fine to the court of jurisdiction, or appear in court on a specified date to contest the citation. Do not pay the fine to the officer; pay the fine to the court, which can be done via postal mail.If you are driving and stopped by a police officer, be respectful and cooperative. If driving at night, turn on your vehicle's interior lights before the officer reaches the vehicle. Keep your hands in sight at all times, make no sudden movements, and explain your actions. ("The registration is in the glove box.") Officers are naturally on edge when approaching a vehicle, because they don't know when an encounter will turn violent. The more you can do to put them at ease, the better your chances of simply receiving a warning. When your car is stopped by the police, the officer will request your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of liability insurance. You must provide this information.You have two important rights when in contact with police: the right to refuse a search of your car or personal property (such as a backpack) without a warrant, and the right to refuse to answer questions without legal counsel present. However, if you exercise these rights, expect to be detained (while a warrant is obtained) or arrested and your vehicle impounded. (Exception: your personal property may be searched when entering certain public and private facilities such as courthouses and sports stadiums. You may refuse this search, but you will be denied entrance without submitting to the search.)Most police officers are honest and respectful. You may have seen videos of abusive officers; these are the exception.WeaponsMost firearms are completely legal to own and carry in the United States. In public places, you may not conceal the firearm unless you have a concealed carry permit (also called a concealed weapons permit, a concealed handgun permit, or a concealed pistol license, or some other similar term determined by state law) that is valid for the state you happen to be in. In your car, you must bear a CCP to have a firearm concealed in the passenger compartment. If you see someone walking around carrying a weapon, that is perfectly legal. It is not legal for them to brandish it in a threatening manner; simply possessing it is not considered threatening.Private property owners may ban firearms on their premises, and enforcement is at their discretion. Depending on the state, public facilities may or may not be able to ban firearms. In some states, public schools might post "Gun Free Zone" signs, but that ban might not be enforceable, depending on legal exceptions. As a foreigner, you probably won't want to test this rule. Federal facilities (offices of the United States Government, including Post Offices) generally ban weapons; being federal facilities, state laws guaranteeing weapons carry do not apply.Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is quite likely the most reliable and speedy government or pseud0-government agency for letter and parcel delivery in the world. (Private delivery services may be more reliable and speedy.) To deliver a personal letter (using what we call "First Class") from anywhere in the United States to anywhere else in the United States typically takes no more than three days. The amount of postal mail that is lost or delayed is a miniscule fraction of the total volume of mail delivered. Mail is delivered directly to almost every home or business six days per week (Sundays excluded). There is no cost to receive mail, though you may rent a post office mailbox if you wish to have more secure mail delivery. Delivery costs are borne by the sender. A first-class letter weighing one ounce (28 g) or less currently costs $0.49 (49 cents) to deliver anywhere in the United States.(Personal anecdote: when I send postal mail to my friends in Canada, the letter will enter the Canadian postal system within three days. However, my friends might receive the letters up to three weeks after I send it.)Currency & BankingBefore you travel to the United States, if you wish to carry currency, exchange it at your own bank in your home country. Currency exchange in the United States is nearly impossible.To avoid carrying large amounts of cash, carry a credit or debit card with the Visa or Mastercard logo. These are accepted as payment almost everywhere. (The merchant may need to process your debit card as though it were a credit card. I don't know how debit cards are handled internationally.) Your own bank will handle the exchange and probably give favorable rates. Most credit cards will be processed using the magnetic stripe; there is a transition plan to replace mag-stripe cards with EMV (chip-embedded) cards.ATMs are widely available, but you will be charged a transaction fee of between $1.00 and $5.00. (There are ways to avoid these fees, but an explanation is unlikely to be a benefit for a foreign visitor.)Traveler's checks (cheques/bank drafts) are generally not accepted. Personal checks drawn on a foreign bank will be refused; personal checks drawn on a bank in the United States may or may not be refused. Many merchants refuse all personal checks.