You can screen businesses using credit link dot com. I believe those screenings will cost $99. From that you will get a copy of its Dun and Bradstreet report

I have had experience with this - I advised my friend that I didn't "like" the idea of not really being in control of WHO was going to be in the property living. They didn't seem to care and went ahead.

A contractor business rented the apartment (sure, they paid the rent and that was never the issue). The issue was that various contractors came through (we knew this before) as some were to demo the place they were working on, others were framing, building, finishing, etc.

These contractors ended up putting holes in the walls, making a complete MESS of the apartment and then ended up with a bed bug problem (I got to view the video that the contractor was trying to say "they just noticed them" and they wanted to move out because of it.... it was not something that you wouldn't have noticed and the property wasn't infested before... this now was heavily infested (I had a pest company there looking and they said it was really bad - just looking at the video they knew).

I'm not saying all of the contractors would do this... but I did not like the fact that you don't have the ability to "know" who is there ... criminals (think about this) of any sort are contractors and some are potentially Sex Offenders too... you aren't "renting" to them, they are being housed by the company who is paying you.

I would highly suggest that if you want to consider this that you increase the rent to cover damages and really cover yourself with having many photos and videos showing the condition of the property BEFORE they move in and sign. This company wanted to fight but in the end, they just paid it because we had proof of what it was like before they moved in and pics of AFTER they moved out. HUGE difference.

I had another one do this years ago with similar situation only they "contractors" were only there for a few months and it was the same ones so we thought (at the time) it would be ok. Nope - they found some "women" to either bring along or within the city and had them there too... once when I went to the property to check on something I saw this "woman" sitting on the back steps and I asked her "who she was and what she was doing". She was so drugged up she couldn't even say anything and just staggered off. The place was left disgusting, furniture broken (it was theirs but we ended up having to remove it all) and then clean everything all over and they were only there for a short time.

I would NOT recommend you do this unless you don't "care" about your property.

Thank you Jonny. That's exactly why I was leaning towards rejecting the proposal. I informed the representative yesterday that I was not interested.

I had one of these proposals last summer. Father would be here temporarily with family to work on a local railroad project. I did my due dilligence and spoke with the manager who would be paying the rent/reimbursement of utilities.

He said "we are having a difficult time finding housing for Mr. Railroad Worker and his family."

I thought that was quite surprising since there is an EXTREME lack of quality tenants masquerading as an "affordable housing crisis" ™

I did some digging on the applicant and managed to get a hold of his landlord 2 rentals ago. This LL was in real estate as well. He said he would NEVER rent to this guy again calling him a "scumbag."

At the same time I was finding out this info, Mr. Railroad Worker started putting up objections to me screening his wife saying that she "had her identity stolen recently and was not comfortable with being screend."

That was it! I politely turned the proposal down. At which time Mr. Railroad Worker flagged by ad as a scam. (eye roll)