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Youth Programs and Volunteer Background Checks

May 19, 2015 By

Summer youth programs like summer camps are gearing up for the season and many now have to follow new volunteer vetting requirements when hiring volunteer staff. New Hampshire just recently put into effect this year that anyone working with children at youth programs must undergo a criminal background check. When dealing with at-risk populations like children it is becoming more and more imperative to protect this group and performing criminal background checks including sex offender checks is a big step in achieving this. In the past volunteers were not normally screened like full time employees were but now the impetus is on properly vetting all persons including volunteers. Any person spending time with children especially unsupervised time needs to undergo a thorough background screening process. Youth programs like summer camp should be a safe and nurturing environment and mandatory volunteer background checks is a big step in achieving that goal.

Additionally, the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is strongly encouraging all youth sports organizations to perform criminal background checks on their volunteer workers as part of a complete screening process. This is a powerful message and implementing it is easier now than in the past. Performing background checks now requires minimal work due to online criminal background check systems and the cost in nominal when compared to risk of harm to a child.

To learn more about new laws pertaining to youth programs and volunteer background checks please read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

 

Filed Under: background checks

Tenant Screening is Complex yet Made Easy

May 1, 2015 By

The tenant screening process can be a complex task that requires multiple public and private records along with reference checks. The task of pulling these reports coupled with the task of evaluating them can be complex and cumbersome. However, modern day third party tenant screening companies make this process a whole lot easier. In one Internet query a landlord or property manager can request all these background checks with one click of a mouse.

A landlord when evaluating a potential tenant is looking for financial ability to pay the rent, previous rental history and previous legal history. The three background reports necessary to evaluate this criteria are credit checks, eviction checks and criminal background checks. A thorough tenant background check should include all three of these reports as well as rental history verification from a previous landlord and personal references to check character.

Using a modern third party tenant screening provider makes the task of vetting potential tenants very easy. However, it still is a complex process and with laws changing on the proper use of criminal history checks in background screening it gets even more complicated. Currently there are 16 States that have enacted ban-the-box legislation effectively removing the check box that asks the job applicant if they have ever been convicted of a crime. With ban-the-box legislation sweeping across the country and with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) enforcing laws against discrimination, it is only a matter of time when the use of criminal histories in the tenant screening process will be scrutinized. That is why landlords and property managers should team up with a third party tenant screening company to help them get all the information they need to make an informed leasing decision and also to get information on laws that govern the background screening industry to help keep them compliant. To learn more about how tenant screening is both complex and yet infinitely easy please read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release.

 

Filed Under: Tenant Screening

Seasonal Hires – Don’t Forget the Background Check

April 22, 2015 By

Despite the never ending winter in the North East the summer season begins around spring break as businesses like Disneyland and Six Flags begin to ramp up employment in early spring. Other amusement parks like Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdown will be adding an additional 2,500 summer jobs to their employment roster. With businesses ranging from retailers to restaurants needing additional employees to get through the summer crowds, it is important that they take the time to screen these seasonal workers before hiring them. Typical background checks include a criminal background check, social security validation and sex offender registry check. However, the temptation for employers to skip the background screening process for seasonal hires can be high. Many employers make the assumption that employment background checks are not necessary for part-time or seasonal workers. This assumption is not accurate and for risk mitigation purposes and to create and maintain a safe working environment a thorough background check including criminal background checks can help reduce risk and provide a safer environment for existing employees and for customers.

According to the Global Retail Theft Barometer 2013 – 2014 released by Checkpoint Systems in October 2014, total shrinkage among retailers in North America was an astounding $42 billion. This enormous loss can be reduced going forward by employers conducting thorough background screening on new hires especially seasonal hires. Pre-employment background checks for seasonal hires should be the same background screening process as with full time employees. Making the mistake of not counting a seasonal employee as a representative of the company they work for can be costly and performing professional and thorough employment background screening is always more affordable than the cost of bad employees. To learn more about summer hires and why background checks should be performed even for part-time or seasonal workers please read recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

 

 

Filed Under: criminal background check

Criminal Record Expungement a Step toward Re-Employment

April 2, 2015 By

There are a few steps a person with a criminal history can take to achieve gainful employment. One step has been taken for them by many US States who have already enacted ban-the-box legislation which prevents employers from asking if they have a criminal record in the early stages of the job application process. However, if an individual has committed a crime in the past, was convicted and then satisfied all the criteria of the court and is no longer in prison then they can petition the court for an expungement. An expungement of a criminal background record means that the person in questions criminal history is either sealed or destroyed. This means that in the eyes of the judicial system there are no criminal records on file for this person. This person can then apply for a job and honestly say they have no criminal records. Expungement is probably the best way to clean the slate and start new and is also the best way to achieve gainful employment.

There are a number of conditions that may need to be met in order to qualify for a criminal record expungement. Among them are: Satisfactorily completing the terms of any previous sentence, compliance with all probation requirements, and there cannot be any other pending criminal investigations against the person. In order for an expungement to be granted a judge needs to okay it and then it is as if the person never committed the crime to begin with. This means that if a criminal background check was conducted on this person after the expungement the background check should come back with no criminal records found. However, some background screening companies that pull from criminal record databases could still show the criminal record. However, the person need only notify such a company of the expungement and they will promptly delete the record from their database. To read more about how expungement helps with re-employment with individuals with a criminal past please view recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release.

 

Filed Under: criminal background check

Renting Single Family Homes, Persistence, Patience and Payoff

March 26, 2015 By

With more and more investors buying single family homes with the intent to rent, they must keep in mind property, people and perception. Landlords and property management companies are looking for well-maintained properties in ideal locations that can quickly be converted for the rental market. Tenant screening should always be a part of the rental application process, but may even be more important for single family home rentals as opposed to multi-family rental units. The single family property alone needs to be profitable and needs good tenants that are great stewards of the property and also are great neighbors in the community. This is why for these rentals all the tenant background checks should be performed including credit check, criminal background check, sex offender registry search, eviction check and even personal references.

Landlords looking for a return on investment in renting single family homes need to be patient, not just with the time for payoff but also for waiting for the right tenants. Bad tenants can easily turn a profitable venture into a financial disaster that could lead to eviction which means legal fees and lost revenue and possibly even property damage. It is imperative that landlords renting single family dwellings perform thorough tenant background checks and us a professional third party tenant screening company to do it.

Persistence in conducting tenant checks is crucial for single family rentals which means the owner/manager of the property must be patient and not sign a lease with the first warm body looking to rent. Patience in renting is key as once as the right tenant arrives everything else will fall into place the rental unit will become a profitable asset. Picking the most fiscally sound renters that have no criminal history or previous evictions and also has strong positive reference checks is the path to property payoff. To learn more about persistence, patience and payoff when it comes to renting single family dwellings please read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release

 

Filed Under: Tenant Screening

Disaster Victims Now Considered an At-Risk Population

March 19, 2015 By

Most States and the Federal Government create laws to protect at-risk populations which includes children, the elderly and the disabled. Helping this part of the population that often times are unable to help themselves is very important to the overall health of the union. A recent report from the SunSentinel.com outlined that when disaster strikes in Palm Beach County a team of volunteers trained by county emergency managers are deployed as the first line of defense helping their communities with search and rescue to basic first aid to putting out small fires. However, not all these responders were required to undergo a criminal background check and without thorough criminal background checks the opportunity emerges for individuals with less than altruistic motives to join in with emergency volunteers. The lack of criminal background checks could create the opportunity for felons to gain access to some of the State of Florida’s most vulnerable people which also includes disaster survivors in addition to children, the elderly and the disabled. Classifying disaster victims as part of the at-risk population is now being examined more deeply to protect this often overlooked part of the population. Risk mitigation needs to reduce the threats to all at-risk populations and a thorough background screening process is how to achieve it. To read more about a diversity of risk mitigation in protecting at-risk populations view recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release: Background Screening: A Diversity of Risk Mitigation in Protecting At-Risk Populations

Filed Under: background checks, background screening

Income Suites an Emerging Trend

March 2, 2015 By

With the cost of home ownership on the rise families are renovating their homes to create an income suite. An income suite is basically an apartment within a single family home. Landlords can only rent such a unit if it passes certain permit requirements and has a living room, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and storage all within a self-contained apartment area. Income suites could be the next evolution in renting as purchasing a second home to rent out becomes prohibitive.

It is very important for these families choosing to convert part of their home into an income suite to conduct a very thorough tenant background check on prospective renters for a few reasons. First the family will be living in the same building as the tenants and to protect the landlords family and investment running a criminal background check, credit check, eviction search, social security number validation and sex offender search are a few ways to protect investment and avoid renting to a bad tenant or even a felon or someone with malfeasant tendencies.

With tenants living in the same home as the landlord family personal safety is of upmost concern and even more so than financial concerns. Looking into credit information and reviewing eviction records help to determine the financial risk associated with leasing to a tenant but only a criminal background check can uncover if the tenant or tenants have been convicted of a serious crime or are a registered sex offender. For new landlords looking to rent an income suite the costs for performing such an extensive tenant check may seem expensive. However, when you apply the risk of letting in a bad tenant than the cost of a thorough tenant screening becomes minimal. To learn more about the emergence of income suites and the importance of these new landlords to work with a professional third-party tenant screening company for thorough tenant background check reports read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release: http://tenantscreeningusa.com/tenant-screening-news/income-suites-an-emerging-trend-in-canada-that-could-make-its-way-to-the-usa-just-dont-forget-the-tenant-check/

 

Filed Under: Tenant Screening

Landlords in a Growth Market – Don’t forget the Tenant Check

February 5, 2015 By

Rent growth at multi-family rental properties across the USA are expected to increase about 5% in 2015. Slightly higher for the lower end “B” and “C” properties. Towards the end of 2014 new building of multi-family properties began construction to be ready for the forecasted market growth in 2015. However, even with all the reports showing increases in demand for apartments in the USA it is important for landlords and property managers to conduct thorough tenant background checks on applicants before signing a lease. The temptation to fill a newly built apartment complex is palpable but veteran landlords and property managers know that it is the acquisition of long term renters that brings in the most profit and provides a predictable revenue stream into the foreseeable future. Using a third party tenant screening company to vet potential tenants is very important in filling up your empty units with low risk high profit tenants. Performing eviction checks, credit checks, sex offender registry searches and criminal background checks are critical components to any tenant screening policy. It is also important to perform employment verifications and professional reference checks. A well vetted tenant has a much higher propensity of fulfilling lease agreements, paying their rent on time and staying longer. To learn more about the 2015 market expectations and why thorough tenant background checks are still important read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release: http://tenantscreeningusa.com/tenant-screening-news/landlords-in-a-growth-market-its-all-about-the-tenant/

Filed Under: Tenant Screening

Ban-The-Box is Catalyst for Employment Screening Reform

January 23, 2015 By

More and more States and cities are adopting Ban-the-Box legislation which is prompting employers to review and update their employment screening policies. Effective January 1st 2015 the City of St. Petersburg and the State of Illinois enacted Ban-the-Box legislation mandating how and when criminal background checks can be conducted on job applicants. Highlighting the national trend of changes in background screening laws particularly with pre-employment background screening policies. Many companies need to revise their hiring practices in order to avoid discrimination even in the instance of disparate impact which the EEOC has been looking for in larger US based companies.

The whole point of the Ban-the-Box initiative is to give job seekers with a criminal past a fair shot at getting a job that they are qualified for. Most such candidates until recently would never have made it past the application stage in the hiring process. Instead the employer would see the criminal record box checked off and then discard the application completely without getting to know anything further about the job applicant. This happens without the employer hearing the story behind the criminal record. It also doesn’t allow for consideration on how old the criminal record is and certainly removes the possibility of an interview or further development in the hiring process. To read more regarding the impact of ban-the-box legislation view recent CriminalBackgroundRecords.com press release: http://www.criminalbackgroundrecords.com/news/2015-1-15-To-Expand-Background-Checks-or-Not-to-Expand-Background-Checks.html

 

Filed Under: background checks, employment screening

Why What and Who of Tenant Checks

January 7, 2015 By

Landlords and property managers conduct tenant background checks prior to leasing as a form of risk mitigation in order to protect financial investment and if applicable existing tenants.  This explains “why” while the “what” is the gathering of public records or consumer reports in order to gauge the viability of a new prospective tenant.  This vetting process also known as tenant screening takes into account the results of several background checks and/or consumer reports including credit reports, credit score, eviction checks, sex offender records and criminal history reports.  Combined these reports paint a picture of the potential tenant and gives the landlord the facts they need to make a well informed leasing decision that will produce financial revenue and help protect existing tenants.  This explains the “why” and the “what” and it is a third party tenant screening company that is the “Who”.  Third party tenant screening companies are trained in the lawful and legal use of public and consumer reports specific to tenant checks in the multi-family industry.  Working with a third party tenant screening company is a wise decision for landlords and property managers who want to remain compliant with relevant laws and regulations such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Fair Housing laws.  It is important that the “who”, “what” and “why” are all addressed to create a compliant tenant screening process and amicable landlord/tenant relationship.  To learn more about why, what and who in the tenant screening process read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release: http://tenantscreeningusa.com/tenant-screening-news/tenant-check-why-and-what-and-who/

Filed Under: Tenant Screening
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