re: Pitfalls to avoid, or advice to successfully rent out a house

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Make any potential renter give you a copy of their credit report. They can get it for free at Credit bureau. If they won't do this: do not rent to them unless they pay several month in advance. I personally would not rent without this.

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This is good advice, but just remember...they don't have to have perfect credit. A late credit card payment here, and a student loan there are not deal breakers. First and foremost, make sure the applicant does not owe any money to former landlords. Also, someone with a constant disregard for paying bills, i.e. delinquent utilities, should be heavily regarded as a poor tenant prospect.