October 27th, 2022

Canadian Property Management Companies: How Background Checks Help

6 min read

When Vancouver-based Canadian property management company Advent Real Estate Services started using Certn’s background screening, it found that Certn’s services helped solve all kinds of problems — including ones it didn’t expect background checks could help with. Certn helps Canadian property management companies like Advent conduct identity verification and perform credit checks on its tenants. Certn also helps it handle applicant and tenant data compliantly, a requirement Advent takes very seriously.

What are some of the other ways Canadian property management companies can benefit from a background screening provider like Certn?

Certn for Canadian Property Management Companies

Certn is a Canadian company that specializes in providing advanced background screening solutions. Property managers can benefit from Certn’s services in several ways:

1. Comprehensive Background Checks: Certn offers comprehensive background checks that cover various aspects of tenant screening. Certn’s services include credit checks, employment verification, rental history checks, and identity verification. Property managers can rely on Certn to gather the necessary information to make informed decisions about potential tenants.
2. Fast and Efficient Screening Process: Certn leverages advanced technology and automation to deliver quick and efficient screening results. Canadian property management companies can streamline their tenant selection process by accessing Certn’s user-friendly platform, submitting screening requests, and receiving detailed reports within a shorter turnaround time than other vendors. This enables property managers to make faster decisions and fill vacancies promptly.
3. Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Certn’s screening services help property managers assess the level of risk associated with potential tenants. By conducting thorough checks, Certn provides property managers with valuable insights into an applicant’s background. This allows Canadian property managers to identify individuals with a history of criminal activity or other red flags, minimizing the risk of renting to unreliable or problematic tenants.
4. Compliance with Regulations: Certn understands the importance of compliance with Canadian laws and regulations governing tenant screening. We ensure that our screening processes align with the legal requirements, helping property managers maintain compliance and avoid potential legal issues. This includes adhering to guidelines related to privacy, data protection, and discrimination laws.
5. Advanced Technology and Data Security: Certn uses advanced technology and automation to deliver our screening services. The Certn platform is designed to provide a seamless and secure experience for property managers. We prioritize data security and employ industry-standard encryption methods to protect sensitive information. Property managers can trust Certn to handle applicant data with confidentiality and professionalism.
6. Customizable Solutions: Certn offers customizable solutions tailored to the specific needs of Canadian property management companies. Whether it’s a small property management company or a large-scale operation, Certn can accommodate different requirements. We provide flexible packages and pricing options, allowing property managers to choose the screening services that best suit their needs and budget.

In summary, Certn helps property managers by offering comprehensive background checks, streamlining the screening process, assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring compliance with regulations, utilizing advanced technology, and providing customizable solutions. By leveraging Certn’s services, Canadian property managers can make informed decisions, reduce risks, and improve the efficiency of their tenant selection process.

Speed Up Tenant Verification

As a property manager you need to get the information you need quickly, and you need to be able to trust its accuracy. Property managers can use background screening to speed up the tenant verification process. By conducting background checks, they can verify applicants’ identities, employment history, and rental references with confidence. This process helps in selecting responsible and reliable tenants, minimizing the risk of rental payment issues, property damage, or lease violations.

As the Advent case study explores, there are many types of background screening tools that help property managers obtain the information they need to make informed decisions when choosing who to rent to. Certn’s background screening experts are also here to advise you on which tools you’re legally permitted to use in Canada or other jurisdictions.

What types of background screening products can you order for tenant screening?

Credit Checks

Working in property management, you know that credit checks can help you determine if an applicant is likely to pay rent on time. Property managers can use background screening to evaluate the financial stability of potential tenants. This involves conducting credit checks to assess an applicant’s credit history, payment patterns, and outstanding debts. By identifying applicants with a poor credit history or excessive debt, property managers can make more informed decisions regarding lease agreements and reduce the likelihood of late or missed rental payments.

Credit checks are a standard part of a Canadian property manager’s screening process, and we always start here when building custom programs for our property management clients.

Tenant Questionnaires

You probably have a version of a standard questionnaire that you send to people who are interested in one of your properties. Right?

These questionnaires help you gain valuable information, such as whether prospective tenants have pets or require parking. We know that managing all this paperwork, even if they’re digital PDFs through email, is a challenge. One of the benefits of using Certn is that our background check API can integrate with real estate and property management software, so managing the back and forth, and storing this personal information compliantly, can be even easier for you and your team.

Digital Reference Checks

You can further eliminate unnecessary back and forth and follow-up by sending out digital reference checks over the Certn platform. Digital reference checks can be ordered and quickly sent to prospective renters with the click of a button from Certn’s platform. You can leave the rest to us and our automated tasks and reminders, easy approvals, and real-time dashboards. Digital reference checks are a faster way to learn more about who you might be renting to, with 24/7 customer support from our team if anyone needs help along the way.

Identity Verification

If your business is global and you rent to people in different cities all over the world and/or you process applications from people who aren’t yet living in your city, then identity verification provides an extra layer of protection. Identity verification helps property managers prevent fraud by ensuring that the applicant’s identity is genuine and not misrepresented. By verifying an applicant’s identity documents, such as a government-issued ID or passport, property managers can confirm that the person applying for a rental property is who they claim to be. This reduces the risk of fraudulent applications and helps maintain the integrity of the tenant selection process.

Instant ID verification through Certn’s OneID confirms that the person is who they claim to be and also ensures that any additional background checks are being performed on the correct, verified identity.

Public Records Checks

It’s harder to restore public trust than it is to lose it. Canadian property management companies can pair background checks with our Softcheck public records check service for added assurance when evaluating applications. This is another way to protect your reputation and brand image, while also protecting your other tenants.

Taken together, these background screenings services make it easier for property managers to find the right tenants quickly without the hassle. Background screening can be done quickly, right from an applicant’s smartphone. With results ready in minutes, you’ll have easy access to important information faster. As a result, you can reduce your vacancy rates and avoid losing out on revenue.

Streamline Tenant Screening

Certn’s credit checks, reference checks, and identity verification make tenant screening faster and more efficient. However, it’s possible to streamline the tenant screening and rental process even more by initiating everything directly from your website instead of back and forth via email or through a rental office.

With Certn’s open background check API, you can easily put application forms, questionnaires, and the background screening you require directly on your website.

This is how it works if you integrate Certn’s platform with your existing real estate or property management software:

• Prospective renters navigate to your website and browse what units you have available
• Prospective renters pick the unit and as part of your standard application process, fill in the tenant questionnaire, provide references you can contact as needed, and authorize the screening tools you want to use
• They submit their application and run the background screening without any follow-up from you
• That’s it! You don’t have to do anything other than review the applications and background screening reports as they come in

The Certn way saves time and makes property managers’ process of finding tenants a simple and painless process.

Managing Rental Properties Remotely

Managing several properties across the country or even in multiple countries also becomes easier with the help of the right background check provider. How so?

Fraud and identity theft are growing problems in Canada. Tenants can use falsified information to rent a property, sometimes leading to disastrous consequences, like this 2022 Toronto example. And while all property managers are vulnerable, property managers and real estate companies that can’t meet with potential tenants in person are more susceptible to this type of risk.

Identity verification helps to address this concern, making it easier to rent international properties or rent to international tenants who aren’t yet in your city. Another benefit is that it also provides property managers with a copy of the applicant’s ID, which they can then easily and securely store within their files. It’s a “hack” that helps make it easier to obtain the information you need in a compliant and secure way. It’s also an approach that’s more secure than email and that’s easier for you to integrate into your files along with the other documents and information you collect.

Certn Background Screening

In conclusion, Certn’s background screening services provide valuable support to Canadian property management companies like Advent Real Estate Services. By offering comprehensive background checks, fast and efficient screening processes, risk assessment and mitigation, compliance with regulations, advanced technology, and customizable solutions, Certn helps Canadian property management companies make informed decisions, reduce risks, and improve the efficiency of their tenant selection process.

Additionally, Certn’s services such as credit checks, tenant questionnaires, digital reference checks, identity verification, and public records checks offer a range of tools to enhance tenant screening and ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of potential tenants. By leveraging Certn’s services, property managers can streamline their processes, protect their reputation, and create a safe and secure rental environment for their tenants.

Want to see what these background screening benefits look like in action? Book your demo now to learn more about how you can build a custom property manager screening program for your company and streamline your operations.