Georgia Tenant Background Check

What Georgia Tenant Screening Covers

A thorough background check offers more than just peace of mind—it gives you the facts you need to make informed decisions. TurboTenant’s tenant screening reports compile key data from multiple sources, allowing you to evaluate risk, confirm qualifications, and identify potential red flags before offering a lease.

Here are some of the things you’ll find within a Georgia tenant background check:

Criminal History

You’ll see convictions, court records, active warrants, and entries from sex offender registries. In Georgia, you can’t deny housing solely based on arrests without convictions, and it’s best to evaluate offenses based on their severity and timing.

Credit History

Reports include scores, account status, inquiries, and debt in collections. High debt can signal financial strain. TurboTenant highlights these insights so you can assess if applicants meet your rent-to-income criteria.

Eviction History

TurboTenant pulls data from over 27 million records nationwide, including those in Georgia. Reports may include nonpayment, judgments, writs, and unlawful detainers. These records are public and legal for landlords to consider.

Rental History

Previous addresses and contact information of past landlords are part of an applicant’s rental history and can be verified to confirm the details provided on the rental application.

Income Verification/Fraud Detection

To make sure renters can meet payment obligations, landlords verify income. With TurboTenant Pro and Snappt, income and employment are validated directly, with fraud detection accuracy of 99.8%.

References

Landlords can use several references to inquire about potential tenants, including past landlords, employer references, and personal references.

Federal Tenant Background Check Laws

Before running a tenant background check, Georgia landlords must follow federal screening laws to ensure the process is fair, consistent, and compliant with legal requirements. Federal tenant background check laws include:

Fair Credit Reporting Act: Under the FCRA, you must get written consent before conducting a background check. If you deny an applicant based on the report, you must issue an adverse action notice explaining the reason and include the screening provider.

Fair Housing Act: The FHA is in place to prevent discrimination based on certain protected classes, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or familial status. Discriminatory screening practices are illegal, and you cannot deny an applicant based on these classes.

HUD Guidelines: HUD guidelines discourage blanket bans on applicants with criminal records. Landlords cannot use arrests without convictions to deny housing; they should consider the nature and timing of offenses on a case-by-case basis.

Georgia Laws

Each state has laws regarding tenant background checks. As a landlord, you must stay up-to-date on Georgia landlord-tenant laws and their application to your Georgia tenant screening process.

Criminal history: Georgia law allows landlords to review criminal history without a look-back limit. Convictions remain on a person’s record unless they’re formally restricted or sealed. You may deny a tenant based on a conviction, but consider the recency of the conviction, the nature of the offense, and whether it impacts safety or lease compliance.

Fair Chance Housing: No state-level bans prohibit landlords from using information from a background check when making decisions. Georgia has a record restriction or expungement process, which conceals eligible criminal records from public view.

Serious crimes are often ineligible for record restriction and remain public.

State-specific Fair Housing additions: There’s no statewide law preventing income-based discrimination; however, Atlanta prohibits landlords from denying applicants solely based on the source of their income, including housing vouchers.

State-level notices/disclosure requirements: Georgia does not require landlords to provide special notices or disclosures when conducting background checks.

Re-usable tenant screening reports: Georgia does not currently regulate reusable screening reports. The legal landscape is evolving; stay informed about any updates at the local or state level.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

When conducting a tenant background check, Georgia landlords should watch out for these red flags:

Late payments or collections: This can indicate financial instability or difficulties, which can lead to late or missed rent payments.

History of evictions: A prior history of evictions can indicate potential issues with reliability and trustworthiness. Always make sure that you are following the law.

Unverifiable income: This can indicate potential issues with an applicant’s ability to make timely rent payments consistently.

Inconsistent rental history: As a landlord, you want stable and consistent tenants in your rental property. An inconsistent rental history may indicate a lack of stability.

Criminal charges: Criminal charges can be a red flag regarding your applicant’s trustworthiness and character. However, it is important to note that landlords should consider charges on a case-by-case basis. And, of course, be sure to comply with the laws while doing so.

How To Legally Run a Background Check

Here’s how to legally run a background check as part of Georgia tenant screening:

1. Get written permission: Always obtain signed consent before running a Georgia tenant background check.
2. User verified tenant background check service: TurboTenant ensures your reports are accurate and compliant, with details on credit, eviction history, criminal background (where permitted), income, and more.
3. Verify identity and SSN: Confirm your applicant’s information by requesting a copy of their ID.
4. Review reports: Carefully assess credit, background, and rental history, ensuring compliance with applicable laws.
5. Check for evictions or criminal history: Consider past criminal history or evictions, evaluating each case individually.
6. Evaluate based on consistent criteria: Use the same criteria for each applicant to ensure fairness and compliance.
7. Send an Adverse Action Notice if rejecting: When rejecting, provide written notice that includes the reason and the reporting agency’s details.
8. Use TurboTenant to streamline this entire process: From consent form to full screening reports, everything is organized in one place.