Many landlords, homeowners as well as tenants are in the dark when it comes to tenant questionnaires. It’s understandable that landlords want to know every little detail about a potential renter. Do they pay their rent on time? How many times have they moved? Do they skip the lease when a problem arises? Do they trash a home then skip? These are all valid concerns and questions. But, there are questions that are not legal to ask. So, what is legal and what is illegal?
When developing your questions to weed out the ‘wheat from the chaff’, you are allowed to ask the following in a preliminary question and answer session:
Name and phone number
Reason for moving
Intended length of tenancy
Number of people who be living in the property
Do they have pets
Name and contact information for previous landlord
If you’re satisfied with the information and answers they give, you can ask them to fill out a questionnaire to more fully develop an idea of who they are, as renters or leasees. Here’s what you are allowed to ask on a more detailed questionnaire:
Employment
Income
Social security number and driver’s license number
Credit/bank account information
Bankruptcies and/or evictions
References
What you are legally barred from asking is information regarding The Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination in regard to race, color, age, gender, country of origin, religion, familial status or disability. Some state and local laws also prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.