Landlord Question and Answer Forum

Can a landlord ask to see identification such as a drivers license, SSN, or passport? May we ask for a copy of these IDs to be kept on file, or are there restrictions?

Yes landlords can request proof of identity, and SSNs for pulling tenant credit reports and other background checks.

Posted by Renee R, MD on Friday, December 31, 2010

Absolutely. In fact, as a landlord, you NEED to be asking for this type of information, and then performing a background check on clients. Assuming you can get it, the Social Security Number is your best piece of insurance against problems down the line. You can easily run a background checking using someone's SSN and get a ton of information back.... all registered names, current and past addresses, marital status, employment history... you name it. The site I use is: www.ssnlookupgenie.com I've also used www.ssnbackground.com as well. Both seem to work fine. For some reason if you can't get an SSN, at the very least run a phone number check. It doesn't return as much info, but it's better than nothing. A site I've used in the past that worked for me was www.phone-number-directory.com. I recommend getting a subscription if you plan on running more than one SSN ... it's pretty cheap I believe. I *think* it's roughly around $20.

Posted by Keira B, CA on Friday, December 31, 2010

if you cant get ID , PASS theyre hiding something

Posted by , PA on Tuesday, December 27, 2011