Trust is a luxury these days, especially when it comes to letting other people live on your property. After all, how would you feel if you discovered your new tenant doesn`t have a cent to his name, or that he still owes his previous landlord six months` rent?
With today`s advancements in technology, you don`t have to worry about going into a rental agreement with a stranger.
Tenant Profile Network (TPN), a Web-based application that is powered by IBM U2 UniVerse, provides agents and landlords with information about a prospective tenant`s leasing history from a specialised database developed for the property leasing industry.
The database contains information such as background lease information, previous agent or landlord details, and tenant ratings such as late payer, absconded, damage to property, evicted, etc.
Endorsed by property portal Property24, the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) and RentMaster, an insurance product which insures the landlord against a defaulting tenant, TPN services both the residential and commercial industry and currently has over 500 subscribers ranging from national estate agents to property managers and landlords.
Says Janice Parsons, Accounts Administrator at DTZ Leadenhall: "Being in the property management industry, TPN is one of the most vital services we utilise. It gives us instant access to all the information we require when doing background checks on tenants. We would not be as successful as we are without them."
Dr WT Marais, Principal, Homenet Maxima Real Estate, agrees: "We have been utilising the services of TPN for about two years now, and find the service most useful in screening lessees and reporting delinquent lessees. We also find the service to be easily accessible and extremely reliable, with no downtime."
As part of its service, TPN integrates with TransUnion ITC, performing judgments, defaults, trace alerts and notices.
TPN also provides bank codes from all South African banks. This will enable the estate agent or landlord to validate if the tenant can afford the agreed monthly rental.
It also integrates with the Company and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) for the provision of company and director information such as status, registration number, active and resigned directors, etc.
In addition, TPN is partnered with Property24 for deeds searches and advertising.
Says Michelle Dickens, TPN Managing Director: "Our success has a lot to do with the technology behind our service. Developing our application on the IBM U2 UniVerse platform has given us a competitive-edge as it is dynamic, highly flexible and incredibly stable."
TPN subscribers are able to perform enquiries via the Web site, www.tpn.co.za, the call centre (011) 234 5600, or by sending an SMS to 083 656 9480.
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