How do I do a credit report?

Credit checking is one of the most important services we offer our members. But how do you actually get a credit report?

What you need:

1. The full, legal name of your tenancy applicant(s).

2. Either date of birth or Social Insurance Number of each applicant.

3. Full present address (this includes postal code!).

4. A signature for consent to perform a credit [and reference] check.

Other helpful items:

1. Having both the date of birth and the SIN, if your applicant will provide both.

2. Full previous address.

3. Cell phone or house phone number.

4. Credit card number (DON'T record the expiry date!).

The process:

1. Provide us with the necessary information by a) stopping by the office with your Application for Tenancy form, b) giving us a call with your Application in front of you, or c) faxing in the completed Application.

2. We check the Evicted Tenants List. This is a database of 1000 ex-tenants who were evicted by members of ROMS BC. If your applicant shows up on this list, we recommend you stop the process here - and you don't pay!

3. We check the Delinquent Tenants List. This is a Canada-wide database (managed by our partner Tenant Verification Services) of ex-tenants who owe $200 or more to a former landlord. Again, if your applicant shows up on this list we will recommend you stop - and you still don't pay!

4. If your applicant does not appear on the Evicted nor Delinquent Tenant Lists, we will run a TransUnion credit report. The cost for this service is $8.95 when done via fax, $11.50 when done over the phone or in-person, or if no information is found - what we call a "no hit" - you don't pay anything.

Other important information:

1. Applicants are not required to provide you with a SIN or credit card number. If they are uncomfortable providing these items, don't force them; we can still do a credit check, and requiring a SIN is illegal!

2. These credit reports take a maximum of 4 business hours to complete. Please be patient; we do over 12,000 reports each year for our members!

3. Our staff are trained in interpreting credit reports. If there is any part of the report you don't understand - or you don't know what to do with it! - simply give us a call.

4. We are also able to perform American credit checks, Canadian and American commercial credit checks, and criminal record checks; contact us for more information.

You've heard it before and I'll say it again; tenant selection is the very most important aspect of being a landlord, and your process should include a credit check. It's easy to evict bad tenants - before they move in!

-- AdviserToTheAdvisers

Finding a new tenant...

Owner: When checking references on a tenancy applicant, how can I tell whether the previous landlord is legitimate or a friend of the tenant?

LandlordMentor: Ask this question: “Can you confirm the address (with postal code)?”


Owner: I held an open house for my vacant rental unit and eight different people came. How do I pick the right one?

LandlordMentor: You can’t! Open houses are for attracting purchasers, not renters. Schedule only one potential applicant, couple, (etc.) at a time so you can interview them during the showing, watch how they react to the unit, and listen to what they say.


Owner: I schedule suite showings and over half the people don’t show up.

LandlordMentor: When scheduling showings, tell your prospects to phone you about one hour before to confirm and tell them that if they don’t, you won’t show up.


Owner: I give out application forms to tenancy applicants and they either don’t return them or don’t answer all the questions.

LandlordMentor: The application stage is your best opportunity to learn about your potential tenants. Don’t give out the form; instead, sit down with your applicants right after the suite showing and interview them to get all the answers, filling out the form yourself, which they then read and sign.