Welcome to NTN-South Florida

Conceived in 1980 by attorneys and property management professionals, NTN is the nation's oldest, national resident screening company.

NTN is the only national reporting agency in existence strictly for the reporting

of resident performance.

Chosen by the nation's top property management companies including the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) these companies are provided instant access to NTN’s nationally networked resident performance database.

Tips for Successful Resident Screening

• Most landlords, even some ‘pros,’ are still practicing the old way of doing things—they take a social security number, make one phone call, and rent to the person. Then they wonder where the problems are coming from. Well, the old methods don’t work anymore. Quit relying on character judgment. For managing rental property, it does not work. Have a set application process, written down. Applicants must meet all the criteria. If they do, rent to them. If they don’t, don’t rent to them. It is simple, legal, and fair.
• Proper tenant screening increases occupancy and retention. Nothing in the fair housing laws forbids you from setting fair screening guidelines and applying them equally to all applicants. Keep in mind that every person belongs to these protected classes—each of us can be defined in terms of our race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, for example. So any time you deny an applicant, you have, in a sense, denied someone who belongs to a protected class. The question is whether or not you treat applicants or tenants unfairly because of the class to which they belong. If the criteria you set are blind to class issues and you apply them consistently, then you may turn down applicants who do not meet your criteria. The key lies in making sure your screening process is fair.
• Define the conditions and requirements that an applicant must meet in order to rent your property. The criteria should include standards for length of employment and residency and how much the applicant should make to qualify. Income equaling three times the rent is the industry standard.
• Make sure that the application is filled out completely before the applicant leaves your office. Make sure that all applicants have signed the application so that you have authorization to proceed.

Helpful Resources

Safeguarding Personal Information

Fair Housing Institute

Protecting Personal Information