RESOURCES
Monthly Live Chats
September Webinar: The Truth About CPN’s
Credit Privacy Numbers are bad news. First, they don’t actually exist, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Second, if you use any number in place of your Social Security number on a credit application, you are committing a federal crime. Applicants are using CPN’s at an alarming rate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wYcFzPPxSAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbAwbf54KgY
June Live Chat With Marcia Gohman
Marcia Gohman has been with National Tenant Network since 1992. She and her husband purchased the NTN-Northwest branch office in 2000. Marcia has served as the Vice President of Oregon Rental Housing Association, and the Secretary of the Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland. Marcia has taught landlording classes for ORHA and others since 2003 including Landlording 101, Resident Selection, and shorter classes such as Top Ten Screening Tips and Fair Housing Review.
March 2019 Live Chat With Denise Holliday
Attorney Holliday has engaged in Landlord/Tenant practice since 2008, Justice of the Peace Pro Tem since 2000, and Superior Court pro Tem since 2000. She is a certified instructor for the Department of Real Estate, Arizona Association of Realtors, Property Management Institute and National Association of Real Property Managers.
February 2019 Live Chat With Russell Hathcock
In this live chat, Mike Stout interviews Russell on the latest trends, ruling and best practices of property management. Russell Hathcock became the Designated Broker and co-owner of Zen Rent Property Management in 2009. An expert in real estate trends and local market topics, Russell has published numerous articles and can often be heard on the Rex Parry radio show on 1100am KFNX.
Applicant Screening Mistakes That Kill Your Business
We’ve all heard the horror stories of ineffective applicant screening. The lost revenue of unpaid rent, property repairs, and eviction-related expenses.
Learn how to better screen potential tenants, how to read between the lines of dishonest tenant statements and industry changes that are impacting limitations on eviction judgments and the use of criminal background checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
AM I STILL ABLE TO SCREEN APPLICANTS GIVEN THE HUD DISPARATE IMPACT RULE?
Yes, absolutely. Make sure to give the applicant an opportunity to explain the circumstances of what is listed on the report.
WHAT IS DISPARATE IMPACT?
Disparate Impact is a housing provider’s practice or policy that has a discriminatory effect on people of a protected class. They may not intend to discriminate however, the policy may effect someone it shouldn’t.
IS THERE A NATIONAL OR FEDERAL CERTIFICATION FOR SERVICE ANIMALS?
No. There are multiple organizations that provide documentation for service animals so long as you can prove that the service animal provides support to you. My favorite is a tenant who had a pig as a service animal!
HOW WOULD THE USE OF CRIMINAL RECORDS VIOLATE FAIR HOUSING?
We use to have a policy that we would never rent to a felon. However, with Disparate Impact, you can no longer apply a criteria like that to applicants. Applicants need to be able to explain their criminal background. You can have a policy that distinguishes a ‘good felony’ (too many DUI’s) from a ‘bad felony’ (violent crime).
WHAT ARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW PROPERTY MANAGERS TO COMPLY WITH THIS NEW POLICY?
In some states, yes. Disparate Impact does not mean we cannot use criminal records, we just need to be very careful in how we are using them.
WILL A ‘BEST PRACTICES’ OR INDUSTRY ACCEPTED CRIMINAL BACKGROUND ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA BE PROPOSED BY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NARPM OR NAR?
I don’t believe there will be a blanket policy released from these organizations. They may teach classes or provide education on the topic. However, what I’ve found is that the education is grey and hard to come by. HUD is not a law making body and therefore they cannot make laws. Thus, there is no law. Which makes it difficult to fix.
WHAT IF I DON’T DO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT BUT HELP CLIENTS WITH THE LEASE-UP PROCESS. DOES THE POLICY APPLY TO ME?
In some states, at least Arizona, if you are not involved in property management and you get involved in the lease-up process it means you are now involved in property management. If you are not following the regulations for property management, you are setting yourself up to be fined.
WHAT LENGTH OF TIME FROM A CRIMINAL CONVICTION SHOULD AN APPLICANT BE ACCEPTED OR DENIED?
There’s been a lot of discussion around this. Seven years may become the new time frame but there are some states pushing for 4-5 years. Some states even less.
HOW DO DRUG CONVICTIONS FACTOR INTO THIS POLICY?
They are one of the caveats. The manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine can be an instant and immediate denial.
WHAT ABOUT DISMISSED CHARGES OR PLEA AGREEMENTS?
A dismissed charge would simply be an arrest record and using an arrest record to deny an applicant goes against a number of things. You are innocent until proven guilty and an arrest record is not guilt.
NEW/POTENTIAL LANDLORDS OR AGENTS MAY HAVE A PRECONCEIVED NOTION THAT THEY WILL GET EVICTION INFORMATION BY ONLY LOOKING AT THE APPLICANT’S CREDIT REPORT. IS THIS TRUE?
Judgments are no longer available on credit reports. Some screening companies would ‘reverse engineer’ that judgment and make it look like they had eviction information. Companies who actively collect eviction data, still have that data. But those who do not, can no longer take that judgment because they have been removed from the credit report. They cannot make that judgment look like an eviction.