When it comes to Fair Housing, Idaho lands somewhere right in the middle. In 2022, the state had over 3,000 complaints, most of them for disability discrimination.
Landlords in Boise, Idaho must follow Fair Housing laws to stay compliant.
Even when doing so, it's still important to protect yourself and your property. That's why tenant screening exists and can be helpful if you follow the laws. Keep reading to learn them.
Idaho Tenant Screening Laws
Each state has its own approach to tenant screening laws, including Idaho. Idaho tenant screening laws are in place to protect both the landlord and prospective tenants.
The main laws to know about are:
- There are no limits on how much landlords can charge for application fees
- There is no maximum security deposit amount
- Landlords must obtain written permission for background checks
- If an applicant is denied because of bad credit, landlords must provide the information from the reporting agency
Tenant screening fees are not refundable and are separate charges from security deposits, which are refundable to applicants.
Applicant Consent Form
A common Boise tenant screening mistake that landlords make is running a background check on an applicant without getting a signed consent form.
Your leasing application should ask for a signature to ensure prospective tenants consent to a tenant screening check.
If your papers don't currently have a signature line, make changes right away. A professional property manager will spot this problem and fix it for you.
Tenant Screening Criteria List
When tenant screening in Boise, ID, the best way to sort out applications is by having a criteria list. Write down the criteria that your ideal tenant has.
While creating the list, it's important to make sure your asks are reasonable and abide by the rules and regulations of the Fair Housing Act. An example of a good list is:
- No smoking indoors
- No evictions
- No pets
- No prior convictions
- Income to rent ratio must be 3:1
This criteria doesn't discriminate against applicants. If you need a refresher on the protected classes, review Fair Housing laws in Idaho.
Landlords won't be served with a discrimination lawsuit if they use a consistent screening criteria list. If you make exceptions to the list for certain applicants, it will look like discrimination.
Boise Tenant Screening Services
Choosing the best Boise tenant screening services requires knowing what to look for. A company that offers reasonable fees, timely turnarounds, and specific information is ideal.
A tenant screening service should provide you with this information when they run a full background check on applicants:
- Address history
- Past evictions
- Any judgments or liens
- All bankruptcies
This information will help you make a final decision on whether or not you should rent out your property to an applicant.
How Full-Service Property Management Can Help
Gone are the days of renting to applicants who may or may not be good tenants. Now, you can utilize tenant screening services from Wave Property Management, a full-service leasing and management company.
Not only will we help you find ideal tenants, but we can show them the property, help them fill out an application, screen them, and much more.
If you want to ensure you only rent out to the best tenants, work with us! Contact us today to get started.
