Owning San Antonio properties is a challenging job; one of the more difficult things you have to deal with is tenants. When you end up with a few bad renters, it can quickly put you in the red.
- Bad residents drain your time, resources, and money.
- Bad renters don’t pay on time—and sometimes they just up and leave!
- Bad tenants are hard on your property, damage things, and may not complete their lease.
With all the problems that this can cause, perhaps you’ve thought you could solve your problems by just allowing certain ‘types’ of tenants that are ‘proven’ to be better placements in a rental property. What about allowing only women to rent your properties?
You have to admit it—females are great renters in many ways! Generally, women are careful with investment properties. Of course, there are exceptions, but for the most part, they tend to be gentler. Plus you’ll never see a woman getting led out of your property in handcuffs—which can bring down the value of your property if word gets around!
Another great thing about female tenants is they may seem to be more careful about paying their rent on time. Plus, let’s face it—they are more pleasant to be around…
Hold it right there!
As tempting as this may be, property owners in San Antonio CANNOT select females and exclude males based on their preferences. This practice is discrimination, and it’s illegal! In fact, let’s take a closer look at the Fair Housing Act to understand what categories are covered under the law.
Quick note: This blog is not legal counsel. If you need real-time assistance, reach out to our San Antonio property managers or a skilled attorney.
What Is the Fair Housing Act?
The Fair Housing Act was established in 1968 and is referred to as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. This law protects people from discrimination when they are entering into a real estate transaction. The real estate transaction can be any of the following:
- Buying a home
- Selling a home
- Renting a house
- Getting a mortgage
- Seeking any housing assistance
- Any other type of house-related activities.
The Fair Housing Act ensures that people are treated fairly and equitably in all real estate transactions. That means property owners cannot deny people residency in their properties because of some characteristic or belief.
What Types of Categories Are Protected?
The law defines the protected categories explicitly under the Fair Housing Act. They are as follows:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- National Origin
- Gender
- Familial Status
- Disability.
Gender is one of the protected classes, which means you cannot discriminate against the sexes when determining who is allowed to rent your properties.
‘What Criteria Can I Use Then?’
Although, indeed, you cannot discriminate against someone because of any of the issues mentioned above, you don’t have to accept just anyone! That wouldn’t be a wise move to make. You need to ensure that you get the best tenants for your San Antonio properties.
So, what can you use for criteria when determining whether you accept a prospective tenant’s application? The main determining factors are a person’s creditworthiness and a stable background. Areas you may consider looking at include:
Credit History
A credit report provides valuable information about your potential applicants. It includes their credit score, which serves as an indicator of how responsibly they manage their credit and pay their bills. To feel more confident in a candidate, you’ll likely want to see a credit score of at least 620.
Job Stability
Another important factor to consider is the stability of a person’s job. It’s advisable to request proof of consistent income over a period of time, which can be provided in the form of a letter from the person’s employer. If the individual is a freelancer or self-employed, you may want to obtain documentation that demonstrates a reliable workflow.
Criminal History
You can check individuals’ criminal backgrounds to confirm that they have a clean record without any convictions. However, it’s important to remember that you cannot deny someone solely based on an arrest if they have not been convicted. An arrest is merely an action taken against a suspect; a person is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Regardless of the standards you choose to apply, always ensure that they are applied uniformly to every applicant. Failing to maintain consistent standards could be perceived as bias.
Is There a Simplified Way of Screening Tenants?
Utilizing a property management company in San Antonio can save you significant time, headaches, and money. An experienced property manager has the necessary screening tools to filter out tenants who may not be suitable for your investment properties.
Additionally, a San Antonio property management company is well-versed in local laws, ensuring that you remain compliant and do not violate any legal requirements. They will help prevent discrimination while simultaneously attracting quality tenants for your properties.
A San Antonio property manager will also handle many other jobs for your investment properties, such as collecting the rent, managing the maintenance calls, marketing your property, accounting, and more!
Although you must stay within the law when bringing in new tenants, a property management company will simplify the process for you by using the proper tenant screening tools. When in doubt, you can always seek the advice of competent legal counsel.
That said, working with property management services to address this issue will only work if you have the right property management company from the start!
If you are interested in having your property managed by Real Property Management LoneStar, have more questions, or just want to speak to one of our team members, then contact us online or call us directly at (210) 314-1039 today!
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
