Screening potential tenants remains an important task for anyone who manages a residential property. A good tenant will ensure the unit remains clean, pays rent on time and can make your life easier. A bad tenant can disturb their neighbors, trash the unit and stiff you for rent. The best way to deal with problem tenants is to avoid them in the first place. These tips will help you do just that.

First, make sure that your renting criteria falls within state and federal fair housing laws. One cannot discriminate based on race, color, religion or national origin. One can avoid accusations of discrimination by creating an objective set of “colorblind” criteria beforehand and strictly following it.

Ensure, that prospective tenants understand the city, state, and federal occupancy limits. Often, people will try to save money by sharing a dwelling with roommates or family. One should understand exactly what level of occupancy is legal and ensure that you’re upfront and clear about this.

Closely check the tenants submitted financial records. Avoid tenants with spotty employment records as this can lead to difficulties such as late payments. Contact old property owners, ask about late or missing payments and screen for those tenants who pay promptly, in full, on time.

Contact both the references and former property owners to ask about the condition of their previous housing. One can bet safely on tenants that received their deposits or get glowing comments from previous managers, but avoid tenants with a long list of complaints.

Screening tenants can take a lot of time, and you might want to consider hiring a residential property management company if you’re not sure about it. Often they have their own established screening process along with access to credit checks, databases, and legally approved applications. A residential property management company can save you a lot of headaches.