Why Report?

Why would you want to report a tenant's history to credit bureaus?  There are a number of reasons to do so and more than one of those listed below can sometimes apply to the same case.

Improve performance of your tenants
Notifying a tenant at the time of application of the fact that you make reports to national credit bureaus may provide additional incentive for your tenant to pay the rent on time and to pay any outstanding debt after he leaves.  The fact that you report their record as your tenant can be stated on the application form and on any information sheet included with the application and acknowledgement that your tenant is aware of the fact can even be included within the lease agreement.

Collect money
The fact that money was owed to you following a tenant's residence in your property can even result in payment when the tenant later wishes to buy a home or obtain other credit.  This factor is a major reason to always obtain a Court judgment for any amounts owed, even when you feel that there is little chance of collecting at the time the tenant's departure, as a judgment on a person's credit record is usually even more powerful than only an unpaid bill.  Notification will be sent to any tenant that you report to the credit bureaus.

Protect the next landlord
Putting your tenant's record into his credit record may mean that other landlords will avoid the problems that you had with the tenant - at least for those who follow proper screening procedures.

Revenge against someone who "did you wrong"
The well-known Biblical quote of "Revenge is mine, sayeth the Lord" may be reason for a few landlords to not report bad experiences with a previous tenant, but the old adage of  "revenge is sweet" is probably reason enough in itself for most landlords to make reports.