Before you let prospective tenants sign a lease be sure to run their identity through every relevant background check and search allowable by law, including:

• Credit Check
• Criminal Background Search
• Sex Offender Registry Search
• Terrorist List Search

The simple truth is that a lot of people will lie. They will forget, they will falsify and they will forge. Let a bad character into your rental property and, in the best case, you may lose a few hundred or a thousand dollars. In the worst case you may be liable for criminal activities that take place in the property that you own.