individual must give their identifying basic information (name, address, ssn). This is information an identity thief would possess. After they pass Phase 1, they will be asked additional identifying questions that only an individual would know (such as, "where did you live in 1986?" or "what is the amount of your car payment?"). This information is obtained from credit reports and other records. The questions are random and the answers are much harder for an identity thief to obtain. You can be pretty sure that if an application can obtain their own report, they are who they say they are.

If the applicant does not want to do this, or share information with you, then

Identity theft is growing exponentially! There are plenty of websites and information devoted to stopping someone from stealing your identity -- but how do you know if the person you are talking to is who they say they are?

There are about 10 million victims in U.S. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, it takes approximately 12 months for an individual to even figure out they are a victim. Chances are, one of these thieves may apply to rent a room from you!

How do you know the person holding that driver's license is telling the truth about who they are?

I talk about different strategies in my ebook "Room 4 Rent: Turn Your Extra Room Into Extra Money!" to detect identity theft, such as resources for spotting a fake driver's license or state ID. But there are some other things you can do.

Ask A Lot Of Questions (But Don't Interrogate)
The best thing you can do to spot an identity thief is to ask detailed questions on your application. Once you do that, perform an interview and ask them these questions again. Alternatively, you can fill out the application yourself and ask them questions, paying attention to how they answer questions. Do they pause too long for a basic question? If they can't answer a specific question, then why?

Do A Background Check
There are a variety of resources you can use to check someone's background. If you are charging an application fee (and you should!) use that fee to check references -- by paying to obtain a credit report or background check. There are plenty of places that charge for that information. The more comprehensive the report, the more expensive it is. Do your research before figuring out an application fee. Keep in mind that most companies will want you to be an established business. I talk about how to establish yourself as a legitimate business in my book.

Some questions you will definitely want to ask in an application may seem silly or strange, but help spot the liars. For example: Who is your utility provider? What city and state were you born? Where did you go to high school?

Here are other resources that will help you.

My Public Info
The easiest, quickest, but most expensive way to check that someone is who they say they are is to ask them to obtain a report from My Public Info. http://www.mypublicinfo.com/ Go online and have them get this report in your presence. At last check, this report is about $80. If you cannot prove your identity, you won't be charged for the report. (I do NOT have any financial interests in this company, by the way. No stock, affiliate program, nor am I an employee.)

In order to get this report, an individual must give their identifying basic information (name, address, ssn). This is information an identity thief would possess. After they pass Phase 1, they will be asked additional identifying questions that only an individual would know (such as, "where did you live in 1986?" or "what is the amount of your car payment?"). This information is obtained from credit reports and other records. The questions are random and the answers are much harder for an identity thief to obtain. You can be pretty sure that if an application can obtain their own report, they are who they say they are.

If the applicant does not want to do this, or share information with you, then

Extra Money!" to detect identity theft, such as resources for spotting a fake driver's license or state ID. But there are some other things you can do.

Ask A Lot Of Questions (But Don't Interrogate)
The best thing you can do to spot an identity thief is to ask detailed questions on your application. Once you do that, perform an interview and ask them these questions again. Alternatively, you can fill out the application yourself and ask them questions, paying attention to how they answer questions. Do they pause too long for a basic question? If they can't answer a specific question, then why?

Do A Background Check
There are a variety of resources you can use to check someone's background. If you are charging an application fee (and you should!) use that fee to check references -- by paying to obtain a credit report or background check. There are plenty of places that charge for that information. The more comprehensive the report, the more expensive it is. Do your research before figuring out an application fee. Keep in mind that most companies will want you to be an established business. I talk about how to establish yourself as a legitimate business in my book.

Some questions you will definitely want to ask in an application may seem silly or strange, but help spot the liars. For example: Who is your utility provider? What city and state were you born? Where did you go to high school?

Here are other resources that will help you.

My Public Info
The easiest, quickest, but most expensive way to check that someone is who they say they are is to ask them to obtain a report from My Public Info. http://www.mypublicinfo.com/ Go online and have them get this report in your presence. At last check, this report is about $80. If you cannot prove your identity, you won't be charged for the report. (I do NOT have any financial interests in this company, by the way. No stock, affiliate program, nor am I an employee.)

In order to get this report, an individual must give their identifying basic information (name, address, ssn). This is information an identity thief would possess. After they pass Phase 1, they will be asked additional identifying questions that only an individual would know (such as, "where did you live in 1986?" or "what is the amount of your car payment?"). This information is obtained from credit reports and other records. The questions are random and the answers are much harder for an identity thief to obtain. You can be pretty sure that if an application can obtain their own report, they are who they say they are.

If the applicant does not want to do this, or share information with you, then

of resources you can use to check someone's background. If you are charging an application fee (and you should!) use that fee to check references -- by paying to obtain a credit report or background check. There are plenty of places that charge for that information. The more comprehensive the report, the more expensive it is. Do your research before figuring out an application fee. Keep in mind that most companies will want you to be an established business. I talk about how to establish yourself as a legitimate business in my book.

Some questions you will definitely want to ask in an application may seem silly or strange, but help spot the liars. For example: Who is your utility provider? What city and state were you born? Where did you go to high school?

Here are other resources that will help you.

My Public Info
The easiest, quickest, but most expensive way to check that someone is who they say they are is to ask them to obtain a report from My Public Info. http://www.mypublicinfo.com/ Go online and have them get this report in your presence. At last check, this report is about $80. If you cannot prove your identity, you won't be charged for the report. (I do NOT have any financial interests in this company, by the way. No stock, affiliate program, nor am I an employee.)

In order to get this report, an individual must give their identifying basic information (name, address, ssn). This is information an identity thief would possess. After they pass Phase 1, they will be asked additional identifying questions that only an individual would know (such as, "where did you live in 1986?" or "what is the amount of your car payment?"). This information is obtained from credit reports and other records. The questions are random and the answers are much harder for an identity thief to obtain. You can be pretty sure that if an application can obtain their own report, they are who they say they are.

If the applicant does not want to do this, or share information with you, then

your utility provider? What city and state were you born? Where did you go to high school?

Here are other resources that will help you.

My Public Info
The easiest, quickest, but most expensive way to check that someone is who they say they are is to ask them to obtain a report from My Public Info. http://www.mypublicinfo.com/ Go online and have them get this report in your presence. At last check, this report is about $80. If you cannot prove your identity, you won't be charged for the report. (I do NOT have any financial interests in this company, by the way. No stock, affiliate program, nor am I an employee.)

In order to get this report, an individual must give their identifying basic information (name, address, ssn). This is information an identity thief would possess. After they pass Phase 1, they will be asked additional identifying questions that only an individual would know (such as, "where did you live in 1986?" or "what is the amount of your car payment?"). This information is obtained from credit reports and other records. The questions are random and the answers are much harder for an identity thief to obtain. You can be pretty sure that if an application can obtain their own report, they are who they say they are.

If the applicant does not want to do this, or share information with you, then

individual must give their identifying basic information (name, address, ssn). This is information an identity thief would possess. After they pass Phase 1, they will be asked additional identifying questions that only an individual would know (such as, "where did you live in 1986?" or "what is the amount of your car payment?"). This information is obtained from credit reports and other records. The questions are random and the answers are much harder for an identity thief to obtain. You can be pretty sure that if an application can obtain their own report, they are who they say they are.

If the applicant does not want to do this, or share information with you, then you don't want them living with you. Simple as that. Allow that person to keep their own report, and agree not to make copies. Their report also gives them access to other goodies that My Public Info provides. In fact, EVERYONE should get this report to see if they are have become a victim of identity theft or if information is just plain incorrect. It's more comprehensive than a credit report, so it's to their benefit.

Social Security Validator -- Look up "social security validators" on the Web. These validators can verify that the SSN used is valid and was not assigned to someone currently deceased. There is also a reference which breaks down the social security number code and you can also verify that person is telling the truth about the basics of their background. For example, most people get their SSN at the place they were born (Foreign-born people have a special number as well).

Professional License Validation -- Most, if not all states have an online license check. You can validate that a doctor, real estate agent, or electrician for example, holds a valid license to practice in that state. If your applicant states they have a professional license, then check.

Public Records Search -- Many states have an online search for a variety of court records (for free). Of course, this is a needle-in-a-haystack kind of search if you go state-by-state, but there are companies who will do a comprehensive search for a fee. If you don't have the funds (and you should, since you are charging an application fee), this is an alternative.

While yes, you want to supplement your income, remember that safety and security for you, your family and your potential tenants is of primary concern. However, be prepared to meet some resistance from applicants. While your requests may seem initially intrusive, the upside is you will know exactly who is living with you. And your tenants will know that you are a practical and fair landlord. Assure your applicants that you have asked these questions of EVERY potential renter, that these are not biased and you would expect to be asked the same questions (if not more) if you were attempting to fill a room vacancy yourself. Also, your potential renters will now have valuable knowledge and information about identify theft which will enable them to protect themselves and their families. Is that good or good?