References At Missing Link Property Management we find that one of the most important steps in choosing the right tenant for a landlord's property is the step of checking references. Tenants are required to list at least three references on their lease application. What they don't know is that there is one more on the application which is their previous landlord. This reference is the one that will give the best information in most cases as they can attest that rents were paid on time and that the tenant took care of the property. When you call this person, you can tell right away if there were problems as they will pause when asked if they would rent to the tenant again if the opportunity arose. After asking this same question to hundreds of previous landlords, you can tell right away when there were problems say's Mr. Swigart one of the owners at Missing Link. The other references are important as well. Tenants often list family and friends as references who will usually tell you how great the tenant is. Once in awhile you will get the friend that will give you the brutal truth and warn you not to rent to them or the property will get trashed. Other Property Managers Although the managers at Missing Link Property Management always check references, many other property managers skip past this step. The number one complaint we hear when a new owner is transferring management services to us, is that they feel that the previous company must not have done a good job checking references as the tenant either didn't pay rent on time or damaged their property. Why would a management company hired to place a tenant skip this step you might ask, well its simple, it takes time and due diligence. It's much easer to check credit and if they seemed nice during the showing to place them immediately. What most management companies forget, is that the better you due your job to place a good tenant in the beginning, the easier your job will be during their tenancy. The Rest of the Process The other references that are important to check, are employers. Believe it or not, this is one of the best references next to the previous landlord. It's important to speak with employers to verify employment and income. We at Missing Link Property Management have found that employers are great references as they will usually divulge relevant information about the potential tenant. Our job is to ask them if they are currently employed at the company and that the income stated on the application is their actual income. If the potential tenant has a muddy track record at work, often times their supervisor will share great information that helps us make the decision. Between speaking to their previous landlord, their friends and family, and their employer, it's easy to identify if the potential tenant is someone you would want to lease to. This is our filtering system so to speak. This along with checking their credit, eviction, criminal, and background for judgements and liens, we get a good idea if the potential tenant(s) are favorable to lease to.