Rental Services, Inc. 2019 June Newsletter


In this month’s newsletter I wanted to discuss some of the additional features that can be utilized when using the RSI Quick App and recent legal changes that may impact your business.

As I’m sure most of you know, Rental Services, Inc. offers an online rental application we call the RSI Quick App.

The RSI Quick App allows applicants to apply online in place of the traditional paper application. We provide you a custom URL that can be added to your website, placed in your advertisements or emailed directly to a potential applicant. Clients can list each individual rental property they own or manage. Some clients like to show off the size of the portfolio they own or manage. The RSI Quick App can also be setup as a generic application. This prevents applicants from seeing how many properties you own or manage. The generic application gives clients some anonymity.

The RSI Quick App allows clients to add custom questions to the online application. Maybe you want to ask each applicant the question “What would your neighbors say about you if I called them?”. The RSI Quick App will require the question to be answered and gives the applicant a place to write an answer to the question. Pre-disclosures like rental criteria or a welcome message can be added to the start of the online application. If you have the form, we can add it.

What you may not have known is for a small fee the RSI Quick App can collect documents from the applicant. When activated the Applicants are asked to upload documents during the application process. You decide on what documents are needed, making it required or optional to upload a copy of a photo ID, pay stub, tax return or any other document you might need.

All the collected documentation is available as a PDF on the result page of the RSI website. Each document is saved as an individual attachment for easy viewing and will be available on the website for five years.

If you need additional information about the RSI Quick App, please contact the RSI office.

Legal Update:

Governor Polis signed HB19-1118, Time Period to Cure Lease Violation into law on May 20, 2019. The law now requires a 10-day cure period. If you are still using a standard 3-day it won’t stand up in court. If you don’t have updated legal forms, we recommend contacting an attorney. Use the link in the newsletter for a legal referral.

Colorado HB19-1106 has passed and is waiting to be signed. It should take effect August 2, 2019. The bill bans the property owner or management company from charging a screening fee that exceeds the fee charged by the background screening company.

Since HB19-1106 passed, RSI has been inundated with calls about screening packages and pricing. Rental Services, Inc. has always taken the business position of doing what we felt was best for the customer. RSI decided years ago to offer direct access to the Colorado courts in place of less expensive multi-state criminal records for most of its Colorado clients. When it was necessary, we would alert clients that additional research may be required, and if approved, order additional searches. We believed this was a cost-effective way to provide the best information to clients.

When application fees ranged from $50 to $150 for a background check, a client could easily absorb any additional screening fees. Now with the legal changes coming in August, padding the application fee is not an option. To counter this problem, RSI is offering new packages that will include multi-state eviction records, multi-state criminal records and still provide real time access to the Colorado Courts. The new reports will allow clients to have a set application fee and provide them with the peace of mind that they won’t have to go back to an applicant and request additional screening fees.

Please contact the office to discuss your options.


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