News

Ohio City Landlords Work toward New Screening Process

Ed Richter

10/20/2014

Oct. 20--MIDDLETOWN -- Landlords who are part of the Middletown Investment Property Owners Association are considering new ways to screen tenants to better protect their investment properties and the tenants, they say.

The city is also working with landlords in the MIPOA and encouraging them to tighten up language in leases and to better screen applicants so public safety and other services are not wasted.

City Manager Doug Adkins told the group that he's been with the city for 10 years as city prosecutor and neighborhood revitalization director and said he's seen the crime rate rise over that period of time.

"We want to work with you....We know who the troublemakers are," he said. "We don't want to import problems to pollute our city. You need to protect each other. If you have a problem tenant, it's not good for you, the police department or EMS."

Adkins said the city will be continuing its use of focused task forces to curb drug and other criminal activity as well as identify possible nuisances requiring code enforcement "until people understand we're not taking that crap anymore. We're done."

He said the task forces will be sent to neighborhoods where they are needed and that the city will hit them with everything they've got.

To assist landlords, the city will make $5,000 available for landlords to utilize the services of Selection.com to better screen applicants.

Carl Brown of Selection.com, said they will offer landlords a report on a tenant's previous addresses, past due accounts, and credit score as well as a criminal check of more than 241 courts in Ohio. In addition, he said the company also offers about 19 other types of checks for an additional fee. He said the information is continuously being updated. He said landlords that might want an eviction check can obtain that information for an additional $5.

Brown said the company usually charges $15 for these reports, but will do it for $9. He said the system's portal is set up to have the landlord's make the request and pay the fee or to have the form emailed to the applicant and have them pay for it.

"This is worth it to use for all of you," Adkins said. "We'll need a few weeks to get this set up."

Adkins also said the city is working on an alert system to flag landlords when tenants create nuisances requiring code enforcement or if there are a number of fire, police or EMS runs to a particular address. He also said the city is also working on developing chronic crime nuisance ordinance as well and will be asking for input from landlords.

Another landlord, Dan Tracy, said while the eviction process used by Middletown Municipal Court is good, he said he'd like to see it streamlined to get a problem tenant out quicker.

In addition to the selection.com service, the landlords also learned about a local property owner who is developing a database for landlords to list problem tenants or tenants who have damaged places that they may have leased as well as who the good tenants are to have lease again. Steve Bohannon said the property owner who is developing this database will also allow landlords will be able to contact each other about applicants who may have leased elsewhere in town. He said that could be ready for use in the next couple of months.

Landlords are left to their own devices to screen tenants. Some have applications that range from three to nine or more pages long. Another landlord said he asks to see where a potential applicant currently lives before leasing an apartment or house.

"We've got to get out of the mindset to rent to someone with a pulse," Bohannon said. "We need to get the right people."

While serious crime is down in Middletown, Police Chief David VanArsdale said the city is willing to help landlords, adding that it is up to them to help improve the city's future. He said crime has been dropping thanks to the task force initiative and that things are improving and they are making some headway."We want to work with you and we think you'll find this to be a good tool," Adkins said.

After the meeting, local property owner Rachel Lewitt said it sounded like a good idea.

"This would be very helpful for investors of properties and improve the quality of tenants," said Rachel Lewitt. "It also gives an opportunity for tenants to be recorded as being good tenants."

Another property owner was also enthusiastic about the help the city was offering. "I thought it was great that the city was offering to fund the first $5,000," said Jackie Hunter. "I think things are turning around for the better. I have a good feeling."