Apartment managers are often worried about the number of days that an apartment stays vacant as it means loss of money. Every day that the apartment stays vacant the manager is losing a lot of money.

Offering the apartment to the first applicant who does not even fit the minimum qualifications may not be the answer. Tenant screening is crucial for every real estate agent and apartment management. After all, no one wants to get stuck with a bad tenant with loads of problems.

Apartment managers should set policies on tenant screening in advance. Designing a tenant screening to meet these policies will help the manager find an ideal candidate for the apartment. The process of tenant screening could take considerable time and apartment managers should not hurry the task. They should tell apartment applicants that the tenant screening process could take as long as a week and that they would get back to them only after this time period. Tenant screening is crucial for every real estate agent and apartment management.

The object of tenant screening is not to fill out the forms. The object is to use the data in the forms to reach a decision on the applications. Thus while designing tenant screening application forms, managers should not stray from the task that they have in hand- finding an individual for the apartment. The questions in the tenant screening form should be designed to help find the most suitable tenant.

Most apartment managers will conduct credit history checks and background checks as part of the tenant screening process. This is a very important step as it will provide the apartment manager information on whether the tenant has enough resources to make the monthly payments on the apartments as well as if the applicant has debts or has ever defaulted on payments.

Tenant screening can also be done to some extent over a telephone. Apartment managers should speak to applicants and see what they have in mind for an apartment or a home. Sometimes even this time of tenant screening can help the manager decide if he or she has a suitable applicant.

Tenant screening is regulated by the government. Apartment managers need to know what the laws in their states are before designing a tenant screening form. Owners and managers of large several buildings offer contract the services of a professional for tenant screening. A professional tenant screener will provide background and reference information on prospects as well as rank them.

Some landlords occasionally jump the gun, and in their anxiety to get a unit rented, let the tenant move in before the tenant screening process is complete. This could turn out to be a big mistake and is usually never worth the risk. In the long run it is better to wait for a few days and complete the tenant screening process than to turn the keys over to the first applicant.