In Miami, Florida tenant screening companies are often asked to provide international background checks.  Florida condominium associations and Florida property management companies use international background checks to provide information about the applicant. Domestic credit reports, criminal searches and identity development will usually not provide records for an international applicant.

International Tenant Screening Miami

The Migration Policy Institute has formulated a helpful table based on information from the U.S. Census Bureau.  The table indicates in 2013, 19.4% of the population in Florida were foreign born.  In the Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the U.S. Census Bureau states the foreign born population increased from 1.1 million to 1.6 million persons between the years 1990 to 2000.   Clearly, there is a great need to screen rental and sale applicants by Florida condominium associations and Florida property management companies in Miami.  However, international background screening is different than domestic tenant background screening.

Weakness of International Background Checks

Limited Scope

One of the greatest weaknesses of International tenant screening is the limited scope of any particular jurisdiction. There may not be a nationwide source for criminal records. In most countries, each city, state, or province must be searched to determine if a criminal history exists in that particular jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction also has its own rules and regulations. And most International Criminal Record Searches only cover a period of two to three years.

Various Consent Forms

In the U.S., there are federal and state laws beginning with the Fair Credit Reporting Act which protects personal consumer information.  For international background checks, consent forms vary between countries. Some countries have strict privacy laws and only the applicant has access to their personal information.

Turnaround Times and Expense

Turnaround times and expenses for international background checks vary by country and can be quite expense.  Prices may be begin at $40 and exceed $300.

What to Do

When there is sufficient time and resources, it is a good idea to order an international background check.  Florida tenant screening companies in Miami can advise as to the value of the search in the chosen country. However, there are other options.  International database searches, including Interpol can be combined to create a international background check.