SingleKey

What did eight months of unpaid rent cost one Ontario landlord?

This Pickering case shows how quickly the financial and administrative impact can grow:

• The landlord screened the tenant and signed the lease before the rent payments stopped.

• The eviction process lasted eight months while the mortgage and other expenses continued.

• SingleKey’s Rent Guarantee reimbursed $7,120 in missed rent throughout the process.

• The team coordinated legal support, sheriff scheduling, and the required documentation, saving the landlord more than 25 hours of administrative work.

• According to the case study, approximately $29,000 in total losses were avoided.

Screening helps reduce risk at the start of a tenancy. Rent Guarantee can provide financial and legal support when circumstances change and rent payments stop.

Comment “case” to receive a copy of the full case study and LTB order.

Do you decide on your rental criteria before you list, or as applications come in?

We screen thousands of applicants, and a consistent process starts with a clear plan:

• Define your criteria in writing before you list, including how you will review income, credit, and rental history.

• Apply the same criteria to every applicant to support fair, consistent decisions.

• Treat the application as the first step. Then, verify the information through credit and background checks, employment verification, and previous landlord references.

• Use SingleKey’s free Pre-Screening Tool to organize applicants you may invite to a showing before completing the final screening for your selected applicant.

• Written criteria can also help you make faster, more objective decisions.

A consistent screening process helps protect your rental property while supporting fair treatment for every applicant.

Try SingleKey’s free Pre-Screening Tool through the link in our bio, or visit:

https://marketing.singlekey.com/pre-screen

Ever notice how some applicants disappear as soon as you ask for a verified screening report?

We run screening for thousands of landlords, and we see this happen all the time.

• Jason began requiring a SingleKey screening report from every applicant.

• The ones with something to hide? They simply disappeared. That’s the filter doing its job.

• He noticed the same pattern once a verified report became non-negotiable.

• He also refunds successful applicants the cost of the report on their first month’s rent as a thank you.

• Since introducing this screening step, Jason has seen his tenants’ average credit score increase from 620 to 690.

A real report gives you credit and background information from the source, so you can make a confident decision instead of relying on a gut feeling.

Screen everyone the same way. The right tenants won’t mind, and the less ideal ones usually won’t stick around.

Thinking about renting out your first place?

We help new landlords all the time. Here's your landlord 101 checklist:

• Know your legal duties. Every province has its own rules around leases, deposits, and ending a tenancy.

• Screen properly. A proper background and credit check upfront can save you months of headaches later.

• Budget for the quiet costs. Maintenance, repairs, and the occasional empty month are all part of the business

• Run it like a business from day one. Not just a weekend hobby. You'll see the strongest results if you operationalize from the get-go.

A lot of first-year landlord mistakes happen simply because one of these gets skipped.

Think you can spot a fake credit report!?

Try!

Some tenants are getting creative with Canva and AI - we see the fakes all the time!!!

Here are some of the red flags we’ve spotted:

🚩 Fonts that don’t match
🚩 Whited-out sections
🚩 Account summaries that don’t match the actual pages
🚩 Dates that make no sense yes, even dates in the future
🚩 Suspicious PDF file properties

Let me share one real case with you: A tenant handed over a credit report that looked completely legitimate… until it was compared with the actual report.

The biggest takeaway here?

PLEASE don’t just trust the credit report a tenant hands you. Pull it yourself directly from the source. And you can do that with SingleKey's Tenant Screening service!

Cause 15 seconds of checking could save you months of chasing unpaid rent.

Unlocking new connections at Realtor Quest 2026 🔑🏡

What an incredible few days connecting with realtors, housing professionals, and industry leaders who stopped by the SingleKey booth. From meaningful conversations about the future of renting to sharing how we’re helping create a more secure rental experience, the energy this year was unmatched.

A major highlight? Hearing Michelle Obama speak and seeing the community come together around leadership, resilience, and impact.

Thank you to everyone who visited us, shared insights, and made this year’s Realtor Quest one to remember. Until next year 👏