Are some of your prospective renters tricking you? The answer is probably “yes”! And you’ll want to understand how and also how easy it is for you to catch them and a good part of the unfairness of what’s going on.
You’ll want to immediately discover what you or your property management company need to do to avoid this costly mistake. Relax, it’s easy. Just read on and discover the secret I recently uncovered.
The AOA Study
It all started when we once again decided to retest and make certain that we were still using the best source for the information we provide AOA members for tenant screening. No one had ever done the size and scope of this AOA study before. We know this for a fact because some of the source companies told us that they had never provided the kind and/or the amount of information for which we were asking.
One other fact: As a result of this study AOA made a major change that we believe no other association has ever considered. Others will follow AOA’s lead but it will take some time and a lot of effort. Here’s what we did just for our members.
We made a study of six of the major sources for information on evictions. We ran at least 1,000 different prospective tenant names through this study with each source so that our research would be statistically accurate. We then compared the data obtained from each source. I won’t go into all the details but I taught statistics in college and I believe our study is statistically accurate – it’s important to know that there is a right way and a wrong way to do this research. Be assured, your back is covered – AOA did it right again!
When we first started, we were only looking for the percentage of “hits” each source could produce. A “hit” is when you discover that a certain tenant has been evicted before. When we finished our research, we planned to use the company that provided the highest percent of “hits” with proper pricing. To our surprise, in addition to identifying the best source, we made a major unexpected discovery!
The Big Money-Saving Discovery!
Most professionals in the industry assume that all sources are the same. WRONG! They all tell us that they send messengers to most of the courts and gather that information into their file. So, the logic went: “how could there be any difference?” But, one prominent eviction attorney estimated that when you run a single eviction search, your source will only uncover about 60% of the actual cases. Our study proves the he was close to being right and that there can be a difference of over 100% between companies that are considered the biggest and/or best in the industry. In other words, you have been missing over one half of all eviction cases when you order an eviction report! Every file we tested missed some of the “hits” or evictions that other reporting companies had recorded! Evicted tenants were slipping through the cracks. You were being tricked when these prospective tenants stated on their application that they had never been evicted. Can you blame them – they have had a better than 50% change of not being found out!!
We were flabbergasted with the huge gaps that existed in the number of “hits”! In examining the various reports, I discovered that the tenants missed on one report would many times show up on another report and vice versa. The data gatherers were not all equal! I’ll explain in a minute how to use this discovery to improve the accuracy of the information for which you pay.
Credit Headers
Something else you will find interesting and imperative – a credit header is a computer program the eviction recording companies use to extract the most accurate information from their data. They start with the raw data and then “search” for the exact match for the tenant that you or your property management company is screening. They can also show the names of “possible” matches as there are many people with the same name. There is usually no social security number on eviction reports like you have with your credit report. However, there is one company AOA uses that attempts to match as many social security numbers as possible. So obtaining accurate eviction reports can be very difficult. WARNING: Be sure to check the former landlord who supposedly evicted your prospective tenant to make certain you have an exact “hit”. Also, ask the prospective tenant about the information. It could be someone else with the same name. Credit headers are supposed to keep this from happening but in the process they miss some evictions and the tenant slips through or they turn on the wrong tenant and you miss getting what could be an excellent tenant. There is another very obvious way undesirable tenants slip through that we’ll cover next month – it’s related to when the courts release the negative data.
There is one eviction company that obtains as many social security numbers as they possibly can and this improves their accuracy. So if you do see a social security number on your AOA Eviction Report, you’ll know that this is usually not normal and most associations and/or companies do not provide this information to help make a match.
In some cases, we were able to test their raw file as well as the results produced by their credit header. Some of these credit headers will use the information on the credit reports to increase the accuracy and number of address matches. This produces a distinct improvement. Also, know that there is a difference in the header used by each company.
Evictions on Credit Reports
Some of the eviction companies will also increase their number of hits when they use the tenants’ credit report as a small number of “evictions”, or judgments awarded as a result of an eviction that was filed, are also recorded on the credit report.
Misleading Reports!
We found a law firm that was selling credit and “eviction reports” to unsuspecting apartment owners. They claimed that the credit report was also an eviction report. No eviction file was even being used! Don’t be fooled by this type of sales information. In a situation like this, you are probably missing over 90% of the actual cases that have been filed. I obtained the information from the person who said he was in charge of the reports and he did not even know what he was doing wrong. They were not requiring inspections or obtaining the compliance papers that the credit companies require. The owner of the firm did not return my calls!
WARNING: Do not do business with associations or companies who do not require inspections and other compliance information when you obtain an actual credit report that comes directly to you. They cannot be trusted! Also, do not allow the tenant to show you a copy of his or her credit report that may be altered. Obtain your information directly from a source you can trust.
One eviction recording company owner even stated that “if a file is incomplete or not used, apartment owners will never know”. It seems that he was absolutely right, but now you and I are some of the few who are in the know.
I’m prejudiced, but obtain your screening information from AOA. You can trust your Association AND at the same time you are supporting your own industry.
The Unique AOA Solution
In doing our study we combined two eviction reporting companies and presto, we end up not missing as many of the cases that were slipping through the cracks. A definite reduction in the number of tricks that tenants play on unsuspecting owners! It seems so simple that you probably wonder why no one ever thought of doing this before. Many owners will obtain two credit reports to ensure that they get as much information as possible, but they have never considered that it is even more important to obtain two eviction reports. Sooooo … when you order your “AOA Eviction Report”, the information is coming from two different and distinct files. You receive a report that is taken and put together from two different companies. An industry first! I can guarantee you that it is the best and most thoroughly tested report currently available as I write this.
Does this “guarantee” that you will never rent to a bad tenant again who was evicted by another housing provider? No, but you’ll sure come a whole lot closer to that goal as a result of using this new AOA Eviction Report! Please know that even with all the work and research, some evictions will still be missing, and you also need to confirm that the name matches.
WOW!
Isn’t it great that you can belong to an Association that does so much to help you make and/or keep more of your money than ever before? An Association that is dedicated to making your business of providing housing more profitable, easier and more enjoyable? It can be very unpleasant and costly to have the wrong tenant move into your building, especially when it is so easy to avoid. AOA is definitely here to assist you in becoming as successful as possible in all that you do. This unique AOA tenant screening method is just one small way that we serve you better with our “5 star” quality service at the same low price of only $10.00! AOA’s superior tenant screening service is just one of many reasons that you and others have made AOA one of the largest individually organized groups of apartment owners in the whole state of California.
It’s been said “use it or lose it”. Well, you can use this “AOA Report” or you just might plain old lose out when it comes to screening tenants! Any two reports will not do the job – proper research must back up the provider you select!!
The AOA eviction research really is a “WOW” and the first for our industry. And just think, it costs only $10 now for two legitimate eviction reports, the ABC Tenant Evaluation Grade and a credit report from either Experian or Trans Union. Also included is a search on: 1) The most wanted criminals, 2) National Sex Offender, and 3) the terrorist list. Obtained separately, this is more than a $28 value!! You will probably agree that any owner who is aware of this information is “almost crazy” or just asking for trouble as they risk wasting a lot of time and money by not using this “unique and enhanced AOA Eviction Report”!! You can get your report direct from your friendly AOA operator or via the internet. Just call (800)363-5296 or go to www.aoausa.com. AOA is truly “the #1 source for the apartment industry!”.
Thank You!
Thank you for giving all of the AOA staff another opportunity to serve you with “the best of the best” in tenant screening services for the past 30 years. If there is any other way that we can help you make your job of providing housing more profitable, easier and more enjoyable, please call us right away.
Thank You!
Thank you again and again and have a great and profitable 2012! Be sure to see next month’s AOA magazine article to discover the solution for another “trick” that is being played on you.
P.S. Hey, do you realize that you’ll now be getting two eviction reports for the price of one? Yea! Also, be sure to check out how much you can save on our group insurance plan. I’ve already personally saved a ton of money!