Owning a short-term rental means you deal with a rotating list of guests. This rotation puts additional pressure on you to screen tenants accordingly.
A common mistake is rushing the guest screening process. This can happen during busy vacation seasons, especially in top destination spots like Orlando. You can also make this mistake when managing rentals by yourself.
Instead, work with a property manager who will take extra care when screening guests for vacation rentals.
Here are the most important points to know.
Avoid Using Online Background Check Services
When screening for tenants by yourself, your first step will likely be Google. Here, you'll find plenty of online services that offer low-cost (or even free) background checks. There are also countless websites with publicly available information.
Here's the catch:
Most of these websites don't provide accurate information!
Free information sites, in particular, are notorious for listing incorrect addresses, surnames, employment information, and phone numbers. There are websites that aggregate this information from social media and other content sources, making this information even more unreliable.
These sites often pop up when typing a name into a search engine. They also serve as a gateway to paid services that also don't have a good reputation for yielding accurate information.
You'll end up losing too much money, in the end.
Hire a Property Manager
If you're serious about getting only the best tenants, you should hire a property manager to do the screening work for you.
This process starts with an ideal guest profile.
List the qualities you want in an ideal tenant and communicate these traits to your property manager. They will craft a tenant procurement strategy to attract and convert these leads into paying guests.
Think Of Screening As Marketing
Screening should begin during the marketing process, not after.
An experienced property manager will craft your vacation rental marketing campaign around that "ideal guest" profile, ensuring marketing materials reach your target market.
It's a two-way street. You must communicate your expectations for guests within vacation rental listings. For example, you should communicate that you want a tenant who is quiet, clean, and responsible with good credit.
However, you must do your part to present and maintain a clean, safe, and appealing vacation rental unit. This strategy includes prompt and professional property maintenance.
Guests also need a quick and easy way to pay so that they can focus on enjoying their time in Orlando. For example, PMI Platinum FL offers concierge services to streamline the check-in (and check-out) process.
You need streamlined processes for accurate rental accounting. Your property management company will also handle all aspects of accounting, including booking fees, taxes, and financial reporting. Compliance also falls under this umbrella.
Rest assured, your property manager will keep you updated every step of the way so that you can keep building your Orlando real estate portfolio.
Start Screening Guests For Vacation Rentals
Don't make the mistake of screening guests online. Think about the high cost of relying on inaccurate (and free) information. Work with a property management company that uses a range of methods, from national databases to phone calls, for screening guests for vacation rentals.
PMI Platinum FL has a suite of tenant screening tools and a team of dedicated property managers. Learn more about our services or contact us to speak to a manager directly.
