Can I do a credit check on a potential flat mate?
When looking for a flat mate, it is important for you to be able to know whether or not they are going to pay their rent. They can tell you until they’re blue in the face that they will pay their part of the rent, but you will not know until the rent is due as to whether or not they will really pay.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be left in the dark. You can actually do a credit check on potential flat mates to see if any past landlords have reported unpaid rent. You can also see how it is they pay their bills. If you are not satisfied with what you see, you don’t have to rent with them. You have to remember that it is your own well-being that is at stake here and you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re stuck with the entire rent bill.
To get permission to perform a credit check on potential flat mates, you can have them fill out an application that requires them to put down identifiable information such as date of birth and drivers license/passport number. You can then draw up a form that they fill out that gives you permission to do the credit check.
As for how you do the credit check, there are several different agencies that you can take advantage of. Doing the credit check also comes with a price, so you may benefit by charging the potential flat mates an application fee that covers the cost of the credit check. How much you charge depends on the agency that you choose. You can do an Internet search to find one that you are comfortable with because there are plenty of them that you can use. There is not really one in particular.
You will find that doing a credit check through a screening service will save you time because you don’t have to spend hours looking into backgrounds. This allows you to look at more applicants. Just keep in mind that a bad credit report doesn’t mean a tenant may be a bad person. There are plenty of individuals who have come across hard times who pay their rent on time all of the time. Checking their credit report helps you find out whether other landlords have not received their money. It is up to you how you interpret the rest of the information you receive. This is something in which you can go with your gut feeling.
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