Landlords urged to be more proactive and avoid unnecessary risk in tenant selection

“Many private landlords are simply unaware of the tools and resources available to them, said Woschnak. “Determining whether a prospective tenant is suitable or not, is often left to chance and based on first impressions, timing and price. Now, landlords can access information that was previously only available to the professional real estate industry.

“This makes the entire process easier and will greatly assist landlords to make the right decisions in securing reliable tenants and long-term rental income.

"To further close the loop, we have launched RentCheck, a fast, affordable and comprehensive tenant report that removes doubt and the 'what ifs' from decision making.

"Landlords can now use ‘RentCheck’ to screen potential renters before signing the lease to confirm items such as tenancy database history, identity, court records, rental payment defaults and bankruptcy.

"The verification of personal details for a rental agreement is crucial and we urge all landlords to adopt a proactive and stringent approach in carrying out the appropriate due diligence. This will help to mitigate the risk of fraud and avoid unnecessary stress by establishing that there are no hidden circumstances impacting rental payments, or damage to a property.

"The service is also being used directly by renters, who obtain their own reports to elevate their chances of obtaining a preferred property. Background research, when coupled with effective communication, will go a long way to avoiding future issues and ensure mutually beneficial outcomes for everyone involvedin the leasing process."

RentCheck is backed by Australia's largest credit reference agency. Each RentCheck report costs $35 and is issued immediately via email.

Private landlords can also benefit from free property listings via rent.com.au and access a range of additional services including RentReports and RentQuotes.

The RentReport allows landlords to obtain a comprehensive rental intelligence report for the suburb of their investment property, enabling the best chance of receiving the right rental income. RentQuotes provides landlords who don’t wish to manage their own property, an opportunity to obtain immediate and multiple property management quotes from local agents serving their area.

Rent.com.au’s sustained growth in the rental sector reflects a national trend towards renting as a conscious lifestyle and investment choice for millions of Australians.

As it strives to create a total rental marketplace, Rent.com.au has experienced rapid and solid results since listing on the ASX in June 2015. The company recently reported record traffic numbers of 615,405 unique visitors to the website during January 2016, along with a 46% increase in enquiries to agents and landlords.

Landlords can list their properties for free and obtain RentCheck tenant reports at rent.com.au.