Identity Checks

Identity Checks prevent candidates with a criminal conviction, bankruptcy, or other potentially dangerous or embarrassing event in their past to attempt to hide this information from you.

They may use a false name, date of birth, address, or social security number. This is why you may want to have each candidate’s identity verified before you continue with the interview process, especially if you are hiring for upper management or for a position that will work with large amounts of money.

What an Identity Check Does

An identity check verifies the applicant’s identity by checking the following:

• Full name
• Any aliases
• Social security number
• Date of birth
• Current and past addresses

Identity checks do not reveal any information regarding the applicant’s credit, financial history, or criminal history. The main purpose of this information is to check it against the information the candidate gave you to determine if they were being completely honest. If they are not, you may want to reconsider hiring them.

The hiring process is full of steps meant to determine if you are interviewing the right one for your company. Identity checks can be the best way to verify all the information is accurate. However, identity checks are not limited to just the hiring process. Landlords can use them as well to verify that the individual looking to rent your residential or commercial property has been honest regarding the details they provided on their rental application.

Included in your identity check of your renters should be the following:

• Verifying their name and other identifying information is correct.
• Verifying their rental history
• Verifying employment history
• Verifying income

First, you can create an identity verification program that is part of your application process. That can include asking to see two pieces of identification, such as a state-issued driver’s license, a valid passport, or an international or travel visa.

Second, rental history verification is about determining what type of tenant they were in the past and how they treated their rentals in the past. Do not simply ask for references, as they could put down friends who will tell you what you want to hear. Instead, ask for previous rentals and contact information for their past landlords. It would be best if you asked for the address of the previous property, how much they paid in rent, and the dates they lived there.If a previous landlord is not able or willing to answer questions, that might be a red flag regarding whether this potential tenant is right for your property. Any gaps in their rental history should also be questioned as it could be an indication that something occurred they don’t want you to know about.

Third, employment verification involves calling and verifying that they are employed where they say that they are employed and that they can afford the rent. If a perspective employer does not fill out the employment section of the rental application, then that is a red flag.

Fourth, income verification needs to occur. You can request a few of the following to verify that they make enough to cover the rent:

• Pay stubs
• W-2 forms
• W-4 forms
• Bank statements
• Employment contract

Finally, it is important to ask for references, but take the extra step to contact those references. Ask fact-based questions that can help you confirm whether the information on their application is truthful or not.

Our team can assist you in completing the identification process, as well as providing background checks. Much of the information requested above would be a part of that check. For landlords looking to verify the identity of potential renters, our team can provide a comprehensive background check and give you the peace of mind that you are renting to individuals that meet your qualifications.

With our identify check service, you can also check on multiple rental applications without spending days calling references and doing the work of a background check on your own. Many cities now prohibit some checks. Confirm your local regulations before ordering a background check.Let us help you to efficiently process your rental applications with our identity check service.

USAFact’s identity check service can be used to protect your business and your employees from those who may want to do you harm or who may not be trustworthy. If you’d like to know more about what an identity check involves, contact us today.