The first thing that people do after meeting someone, regardless of whether they want to date them or hire them to work for them, is to browse through their social media accounts. What once took an in-depth criminal and police background check can now be accomplished by spending just a few minutes online. The information gathered online is so valuable that many police departments routinely check social media accounts while investigating suspects. If all of these people are checking up on people through social media, shouldn't you be? Following are three benefits of perusing the social media accounts of potential tenants for your property. 

Property Care

Aside from scheduled, routine inspections, you can't get a look at what's going on inside your property. Is it being taken care of or are the cabinets barely hanging on the walls? Not knowing can be scary. While it's probably not a good idea to spy on your tenants through social media after they move in, you can browse through their pictures to see how they treat property before they move in. If their current/former house looks like a mess, chances are that they won't take care of your property. 

Party Behavior

People always post their party pictures on social media even though they know it can cost them their job or prevent them from getting a new one. There's just something about letting the world know what you're doing that is quite addictive. Fortunately, from a landlord perspective, social media can alert you about potential problems, such as late-night parties and noise complaints, before you lease to someone. If they're always hosting parties at their house or posting pictures of late-night revelries, your other tenants might not like to have them a neighbors. 

Stability Indicator

You can also see how stable someone is through their social media account. Do they bounce from job to job? Are they always complaining about not having rent money? People will often disclose their financial problems on social media, which can help you weed out applicants that might not be able to stay for the duration of the lease. 

Although it's a good way to gather information, social media should never replace traditional avenues of investigation. Be sure to complete background checks and check references for every adult that you want to rent to. A thorough background check complete with a social media peek is the best way to weed out tenants who may potentially cause you problems. 

For more information, contact a rental property management company, like Advanced Property Management.

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