How to Find Former Tenant

How to Find Former Tenant

It is difficult sometimes to look for your former tenants who owed you money. And that will make you wonder about what you can do or what steps you should do to look for them.

There are good former tenants that will provide you their new valid address when they leave your apartment. Unfortunately, there are some tenants also who will not provide you the correct information about their new location simply because they are not willing to pay you any more to whatever they owed you that’s why they do not want to be found. And this is a frustrating thing that might happen to any landlord.

However, there are some ways for you to try to find your former tenants. You may try some of the suggestions here that you can possibly do to help you find them.

• Use U.S. Post Office. One of the things you may try is the “Address Service Requested”, in the US postal service, it is an endorsement line used by the mailer printed on the envelope. It means that if ever the addressee no longer lives on the address indicated on the envelope, the sender wants the mailed piece returned to them, with either a new address or explanation for non-delivery.  

• Online People Search. It is a way where you search for someone online. There are websites that will help you find someone’s information based on the available public data. You will most likely get lots of information depending on the search engine you will use. You can try to type in the person’s full name and see what information comes up.

• Another option is that you may try to file an Abstract of Judgment against your tenant. You will have to file it at the courthouse. But you need to know first the county where your former tenant is now located so you would know where to file the Abstract of Judgment. The term “abstract of judgment” in property law, some states use abstract of judgment as a lien on debtor’s property. The lien can only be lifted after paying the debt in full.

• Another easy way is to contact your former tenant’s friends and family or emergency contacts that you can find from their rental application. There’s a possibility that they will be able to help you get your former tenant’s new address.

• You may also try to coordinate with the Department of Motor Vehicles, to see if your former tenant has filed a change of address. Take note that not all state allows this kind of action, but this method is a valid way to find a tenant’s new address.

•  One other way is to try reaching your former tenant’s employer. You may talk to the employer if he can help you make an arrangement with your former tenant and request for debt payment, or at least the new address.

•  You may try to find them on Facebook, Instagram, Linked, Twitter or other social media channel. Some people who have social media account have more than one account. So if you can find any of their social media accounts, you can try to private message your former tenant; you never know what luck can give you.