Tenant Verification: Importance, How to Apply and Documents Required

As a property owner, you will be responsible if your tenant carries out any illegal activity on your premises. So, it is very important you carry out a tenant verification process before renting your place. The tenant verification process is performed by your local police authority and ensures that the people you choose to rent your property do not have criminal records.

Keep reading this article to know more about the verification processes, documents required, things to know and much more.

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What is Tenant Verification?

Tenant verification is verifying a tenant's identity with the help of the local police authority. It involves running background checks to ensure the concerned party has not been involved in any wrongful act in the past. As a result, the safety of citizens remains intact, preventing fraudulent activities and unauthorised property transactions.

Read more about:

Why do you need a Home Insurance in India?

What is the Importance of Doing Tenant Verification Before Renting Your Property?

Here are a few reasons adding to the importance of carrying tenant verification before renting out property. Read to know more:

Prevents Unauthorised Transactions: With the help of verification, a tenant can know the status of authority a property owner has on a particular property that they choose to rent.
Track Foreign Identifications: While the local police authority runs a background check on the concerned tenant, they also go through the previous addresses the tenant has stayed in his/her past. This gives them details of whether this tenant is from a foreign country or not.
Ensure Safety of the Premise: Tenants are extra careful while maintaining a property's condition and ensuring timely rent payment after tenant verification. This is because tenants are aware that their documents still lie with the local police authority, and any damage to the property can lead to legal action.
Help Check for Criminal Records: The biggest reason to carry tenant verification is to ensure the person you trust with your property has no history of a criminal record. He or she is clean and trustworthy.
Ensure Zero Terror Activities: There are times when terrorists have rented places in the city to carry out their plans. Police tenant verifications help to find out if your tenant has any monstrous side, like such, by identifying fake IDs.
Helps Landlords Who Stay Abroad: If you are someone who lives outside India but also wants to earn by letting out your properties in India, police verification can be life-saving for you. It can ensure you are renting out your property to a decent person.
Tracks Crime Faster: If a heinous crime has been performed in a rented flat or apartment, it is easy to track the culprit after tenant verification. It is because the tenants have to submit their identity proof to the police. Not only this, but it also reduces the chances of such an incidence.

You can either apply for tenant verification online or visit the branch for verification physically. The process is explained below.

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What is the Online Process for Tenant Verification?

Follow these step-by-step points to apply for the tenant police verification process online:

Step 1: Visit the online portal of your local police authority to apply for tenant verification. You can find the link to some cities in the table below.

Step 2: Locate the option mentioning 'Citizen Services' in the tenant verification form. Click the download option to fill out the application form.

Step 3: Provide basic details like your name, email address, mobile number, current address and others. Make sure it is correct to avoid future issues.

Step 4: Now attach the documents required by the site, including passport-sized photos, identity proof, address proof, and more.

Step 5: After successfully filling out the verification form and attaching supporting documents, submit it. However, you may or may not be able to submit it online as not all websites allow it. Select the 'Save' or 'Submit' button if it does. If not, visit the nearest police station to complete the application process.

List of Locations That Do Tenant Verification

The names of locations that undergo tenant verification are listed below:

Names of Locations	Police Department Portals	Online Verification Link
Delhi	Delhi Police Department	Link 1
Mumbai	Mumbai Police	Link 2
Bangalore	KarnatakaOne	Link 3
Hyderabad	Cyberabad Metropolitan Police	Link 4
Chennai	Tamil Nadu Police	Link 5
Noida	Noida Police Department	Link 6
Uttar Pradesh (UP)	Uttar Pradesh Police	Link 7
Pune	Pune Police	Link 8

What is the Offline Process for Tenant Verification?

You will be able to apply for the tenant verification system offline by following the process below:

Step 1: Gather all the important documents you will need to support your form, like address and identity proof, passport-sized image etc. This list usually varies depending on the locality your property is situated in.

Step 2: Now it's time to visit your nearest police station with those documents in hand.

Step 3: Ask for the tenant verification application form from authorised people you can find in the local police station.

Step 4: Fill out the required columns in this tenant verification form. It will include you and your tenant's basic details like mobile number, name, address, etc.

Step 5: After filling it correctly and signing it, you can submit this form to authorised police officers along with supporting documents.

Read more about:

Tenant Verification in Noida

Tenant Verification in Pune

Tenant Verification in Chennai

What is the Online Process for Tenant Verification Using a Mobile App?

Some cities have also released tenant verification apps for the convenience of property owners. They can complete the paperwork from their home comfortably. Some examples to mention are:

Nashik police department has developed a mobile app for property owners to check tenant verification details. So they don't need to visit the police station physically.

The Delhi police department has developed another mobile app allowing citizens to upload tenant verification documents.

What are the Documents Required for Tenant Verification?

The following are the documents required for tenant verification:

Proof of identity of both parties. It can include Election Commission ID Card, Ration Card, Passport, Aadhaar Card, or Driving Licence.
Proof of address of both parties. It can be any document like Ration Card, Passport, Driving Licence, Utility Bills, etc.
Electricity or other bills of both parties.
Proof of ownership that shows the ownership status of the concerned property.
Passport size photos.
Rent agreement was created with the tenant's consent.

What Happens If You Fail to Carry Out Tenant Police Verification?

Following are the things that might happen if you fail to carry out Tenant Police Verification:

Firstly, such disobedience of not carrying out a tenant police verification can result in someone's probable or real obstruction, injury or annoyance. In this case, the landlord can suffer imprisonment of 1 year or a fine of ₹ 200 or both.
On the contrary, it can also cause danger to human life, a riot, affray or attack on someone's health or safety. In such a situation, the landlord will receive an imprisonment order for 6 months or a fine of ₹ 1,000 or both.

So, to avoid failing in tenant police verification, ensure you know all about the things to consider for tenant verification before filling out the form. You can find references in the next section.

Things to Remember While Applying for Tenant Verification

There are a few things to know about tenant verification, whether applying for the process online or offline. These include:

Check out the documents required by the police department on the concerned state's website to ensure you do not miss out on submitting an important document.
If you fill out any incorrect data, you must go through the filing process immediately. So, it is better to be mindful of the accuracy while filling in for the first time.
Submit the form only after filling it completely and duly signing it.
The rental agreement should contain all the terms and conditions agreed upon between the parties, i.e., you and the tenant.
After you submit the tenant verification application form, you will receive an acknowledgement receipt which you must keep with yourself safely for future concerns.

Things to Remember While Renting a Property

Here are a few things to remember while renting a property to avoid any discrepancies in future:

Sign a rental agreement with the terms and conditions mentioned on it.
Choose a rental property only after exploring a few options. Also, it should match your preference.
Ask your property owner about the modes of payment from before. For example, whether you can use your savings accounts to pay the rent, a debit card, credit card, mobile wallet, or other options.
Ensure all bills are paid. This includes gas, electricity and water bills.
Get a do's and don'ts list from your property owner and ask if there is any restriction in keeping pets or inviting guests.
Make sure to verify the property ownership status to be confident of who the owner is.
Remember to get your rent receipt and maintain a record for future concerns.

This is all the information you would want about tenant verification before letting out your property to a stranger. Applying for police verification is very easy. You can even carry it online or offline. The documents required and other conditions to be mindful of are mentioned above. So, read the instructions carefully to avoid renting your property to a criminal.

FAQs About Tenant Verification

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Is it compulsory to get tenant police verification?

As the tenant verification law mentions, all property owners must carry tenant verification before letting out their property to anyone. It helps to get more information on the person you will allow to stay on your property and whether he or she has any criminal history.

Does a property owner have to go through tenant verification again before contract renewal?

Ideally, you must complete the tenant police verification process before leaving your property to any new tenant. It is an integral process mandatory under city authorities and in all central districts.

What is the tenant verification form?

Landlords must madatorily fill a tenant verification form available on the website of the police station of their respective locations. They can also get a copy of this form, by visiting their nearest police station.