• Openroom
  • Posts
  • How to Spot Fake Tenant Documents | Joanna Lang (Managing Partner, Outline Financial)

How to Spot Fake Tenant Documents | Joanna Lang (Managing Partner, Outline Financial)

Fraudulent rental applications are becoming a growing problem. Stay up-to-date.

Author

Weiting Bollu
April 25, 2025

Watch now
Youtube

Brought to you by:

Rentals.ca - Thousands of apartments, houses, and condos for rent across Canada.

About this Course

​Fraudulent rental applications are becoming a growing problem in Ontario, with some reports showing that up to 50% of applications in the Toronto area include fake documents like forged credit reports, counterfeit pay stubs, and fake employment verifications. Rising rental costs, a tight market, and the ease of manipulating digital documents are making this issue worse.

As landlords, it’s more important than ever to be extra careful during the screening process to protect ourselves from the financial and legal risks that come with these fake applications.  

About Joanna Lang

Joanna Lang is the Managing Partner and Mortgage Agent Level 2 at Outline Financial. With over 20 years in the financial services industry, she has earned recognition as one of Canada’s top mortgage brokers. After starting her career at TD Canada Trust and Scotiabank, Joanna co-founded Outline Financial in 2012 with her husband, Jason.

Where to find Joanna Lang

Outline Financial
Mortgage Brokerage License #13151

Mobile: 416-834-1590
email: [email protected] 
Website: www.outline.ca 

What you’ll learn

• How to understand and apply the principles of the Ontario Human Rights Code when screening tenants

• Comprehensive techniques for verifying income and employment, including identifying potential red flags and fake documents like pay stubs and employment letters

• Strategies for analyzing credit reports effectively, going beyond just the credit score to assess an applicant's debt-to-income ratio and cash flow

• The importance and methods of conducting public record searches and evaluating a tenant's digital footprint

• Key steps in ID verification to ensure the legitimacy of applicant identification

• Effective approaches to checking tenant and landlord references, including uncovering potentially fraudulent information

• The significance of conducting thorough tenant interviews and trusting your instincts

• An overview of various types of tenant fraud and how to protect yourself

• Information on helpful resources and third-party tools available for tenant screening.

Key takeaways

• Cross-reference and verify information from multiple sources. Don't rely on a single document. Compare pay stubs with bank statements, employment letters with online company information, and addresses across different documents. This multi-layered approach makes it significantly harder for fraudulent applications to slip through

• Go beyond the credit score and analyze the entire credit report. You can check an applicant's debt obligations, payment history, and overall financial capacity to pay rent. A high score doesn't always equate to a reliable tenant if they have excessive debt

• Leverage publicly available information ethically. Utilize search engines, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and court record databases to gain a more holistic view of potential tenants. Be mindful of common names and take extra steps to ensure you're reviewing the correct individual.

• Trust your gut feeling during the tenant interview. While due diligence through documentation is crucial, in-person interactions can reveal important insights into a potential tenant's character and suitability. Ask open-ended questions and pay attention to their responses and demeanor.

• Consider utilizing third-party tenant screening services. These platforms offer comprehensive verification services, including income, employment, credit, and ID verification, and some can even provide rental guarantees. These services can save time and potentially reduce your risk in the rental business.

In this course, we cover

(00:00:00) Introductions: Weiting Bollu (Openroom.ca)

(00:01:56) Joanna Lang's Introduction and Presentation Overview

(00:03:56)Rental Application and Collecting Information - Salaried Employees

(00:04:25) Ontario Human Rights Code Considerations

(00:05:59) Income and Employment Verification

(00:06:08) Identifying Fake Pay Stubs

(00:08:07) Verifying Employment Letters

(00:09:28) Cross-referencing with Bank Account History

(00:14:24) Income and Employment Verification
• Hourly/Part-Time/Variable Pay, Small Businesses, Self-Employed (Sole Proprietorship), Incorporated Individuals

(00:16:47) Other Types of Income (Spousal Support, Child Support, Pension, Investments, Rental Income)• Credit Reports - General Overview (approximately 00:23:21)

(00:23:43) Understanding Credit Scores

(00:25:50)Analyzing Debt and Cash Flow

(00:26:17) Account Ratings on Credit Reports

(00:26:44) Public Records on Credit Reports

(00:28:30) Credit Score Ranges

(00:33:49) Capacity to Pay and Affordability Analysis

(00:35:02) Searching Public Records (Online and Court)

(00:39:16) ID Verification Techniques
• Tales From The Trenches - Fraud for Shelter, Fraud for Profit, Criminal Enterprise

(00:49:32) Tenant References - Checking Landlord Authenticity

(00:52:28) Audience Q&A - Public Record Details

(00:53:38) Tenant Interview - Importance and Key Questions

(00:55:56) Sample Resources and Tools - Third-Party Services (SingleKey)

Download Joanna Lang’s Presentation

Tenant Screening - Tips, Tools, Best Practices (Oct 30, 2024) - Final - Feb 2025.pptx.pdf4.07 MB • PDF File

Resources Referenced

• Openroom: Credit Bureau Reporting & Interest Calculation for Rental Debt https://openroom.ca/rental-debt-ledger/

• Fake Pay Stub Detection (SNAPPT) https://snappt.com/blog/spot-fake-paystub/

• SingleKey (Tenant Verification Service) https://www.singlekey.com/en-ca/

• Court Records (CanLII) https://www.canlii.org/on

• Personal Property Security Registration (PPSA) Search https://escregtech.com/PPSA/Default.aspx

• Information Sheet: Checking ID (AGCO) https://www.agco.ca/en/alcohol/information-sheet-checking-id

• TVS Tenant Verification Service https://www.tenantverification.ca/

• Manitoba Residential Court Case Search https://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/rtb/ot/rtos/index.html

• Quebec Court Case Search (SOQUIJ) https://citoyens.soquij.qc.ca/

• Checking Openroom Documents https://openroom.ca/documents/

Collaboration Credits

This presentation was hosted live in collaboration with the Durham Landlords Association and their President Joanna Kuipers.

About Openroom University

Free learning courses are part of the vision behind Openroom of creating a transparent and connected rental ecosystem. We believe that knowledge is power and we should have more information to make informed decisions.

If you like what we do, let us know at [email protected] or consider buying us a coffee!

Disclaimer

This information is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your specific situation.

Reply

or to participate.