TIP OF THE MONTH - October 2014
Verifying the Identity of all Adults
Source: Property Management for Dummies
Robert Griswold
The very first
step you should always take in verifying a rental application is to
personally meet each prospective adult tenant. You should require
each prospective adult tenant to show you his or her current driver’s
license or other similar (and official) photo ID so that you can
confirm that the applicant is providing you with the correct name and
current address. Advise the rental applicants that if their
application is approved, you will need a photo-copy of their ID to be
kept in their tenant file. Initial the rental application to
record that you did indeed verify this information.
Inquire about any discrepancies between the application
and the ID provided. Even if the explanation seems
reasonable, be sure to write down the new information. Maybe an
old address appears on the photo ID, which you can check out further
through a credit reporting agency.
Having a photocopy of the ID for each adult tenant can
be very important if a dispute concerning the tenant’s identity arises
in the future. In these situations, you need to be able to
clearly show that you positively identified the tenant upon move-in.
TIP: Crossett Real Estate Services
Make sure that you have all applicants 18 years and older, sign the application and any/all documents.