Do you own investment property in Florida? It's important to remember that tenant screening when trying to rent out your real estate investment properties can be fraught with potential liability. Major risks include violating federal acts such as the Federal Fair Housing Act or the Federal Credit Reporting Act. The Fair Housing Act identifies seven protected classes: religion, national origin, race, ancestry, sex, familial status and disability. The Credit Reporting Act requires that if you turn potential tenants down you are required to provide them with a written notice explaining why they were turned down if the reason was to any extent based on their credit report.

To reduce your liabilities and increase your odds of getting good tenants for your Florida investment properties, consider using a property management company or an objective third party (such as a screening company) to handle the screening of your tenants.

Articles for further reading:

• When You Screen Tenants, Make Sure the Law is on Your Side
• Fair Housing: What Does It Really Mean?
• Property Management: Good Investment?