Security
In the business of tenant screening not many things are more important than security. A lot of information is shared when someone applies for a property and keeping that information secure is a top priority.
Not only is it important for the applicant’s information to be kept secure, but also the information we are providing our clients. When we finish a screening the information provided is only for the eyes of our clients and not the applicants.
Any information that we are able to get from a rental reference, for example, is given to us with an expectation of privacy. If a landlord is to give someone a negative rental reference and the applicant finds this out and is not happy or disagrees the situation could end badly for the landlord, and that is something we would like to avoid.
When a rental reference is obtained it really is a courtesy by the landlord, and we do not want that courtesy to have any negative effects on the landlord. That is why keeping the information we provide between only us and our clients is key to both us and the landlords we rely on for references.
The credit bureaus are cracking down on their security measures as well which affects who we are allowed to deliver credit reports to. In the past if an applicant came into our office in person and provided identification they could obtain their own credit report, however this is no longer the case. So now with this restriction in place not only is the entire report only for our clients but especially the credit report.
Being a credentialed end user who can receive the actual credit report is becoming increasingly difficult as well. A credentialed end user is a client of ours that has gone through a process of having their office space inspected for security and who is in turn allowed to receive credit reports.
For most of our new clients we recommend becoming a non-credentialed end user, which means we are allowed to pull credit on their behalf but not deliver them the actual credit report. This allows for us to provide all the necessary information to our clients no matter how large or small their company may be. If a non-credentialed client wants to call and go through the credit report with us we welcome and encourage that and are always willing to do so.
Security will always be a major concern in our business and we can use the help of our clients in certain cases to ensure this. Credit reports and our final screening reports are meant only for the eyes of our clients to ensure the top levels of security for the applicants and our clients.
DISCLAIMER: READ CAREFULLY: The information provided in this article is not considered legal advice and is given only for information purposes. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL.