LivuppHow to check a tenant before signing: 6 checks in 20 minutes
A good viewing is not a check. The tenant is smiling, has a suitcase and "will pay on time". The real check takes 20 minutes and saves you months. Here is what experienced landlords do.
1. The phone number
The first and fastest check. In Livupp you enter the number the applicant contacted you from and see whether previous landlords have left a review: did they pay on time, was there damage, how long did they stay. Free, no registration. If there are no reviews, that is neither a good nor a bad sign — you simply move on to the next step.
2. The ID card
Ask to see it and to photograph it for the contract. An honest tenant has no problem with this. Check that the name matches what they told you, and whether the registered address is in another town (normal) or "no address" (a question to ask).
3. Income
There is nothing awkward about asking where they work and since when. The rule is simple: rent should not exceed one third of monthly income. If the applicant is a freelancer, ask to see the last 2–3 months of account activity. They do not have to show it, but their reaction tells you a lot.
4. The previous landlord
A two-minute conversation. Ask: "Did they pay on time? Why did they move out? Would you rent to them again?" The third question is the most important. If the applicant will not give you a previous landlord's number, that is a signal.
5. The deposit — before the keys
The deposit is paid before move-in, with a receipt. "I will give it with the first rent" means you have no protection from day one. The deposit is a separate amount, not the first month's rent, and it is returned after the handover protocol at move-out.
6. A handover protocol with photos
At move-in, walk through the property together, photograph every room and sign a protocol with the electricity, water and heating meter readings. At move-out you compare. Without a protocol every deposit dispute comes down to "my word against yours".
Red flags
- Wants to move in "tomorrow" and offers to pay extra so you skip the checks
- Will not give a previous landlord's phone number
- Pays the deposit "in instalments"
- Wants the contract in someone else's name, or no contract at all
- The phone number has reviews for unpaid rent in Livupp
If you manage the tenancy through Livupp, the contract, the protocol and the deposit are generated automatically, and every month the rent arrives with a payment reference code. The phone check is built in.
Check the applicant now
Enter the phone number and see what previous landlords say. Free, no registration.
Check a tenant