What personal info does my future landlord need from me to make sure I’m legit? How do I make sure he’s legit? This is my first time renting an apartment. Before I sign the lease, the landlord wants (among other info) my social security number and a copy of my driver’s license. He says he wants these to run my credit history and do a background check on me. Because my parents will be cosigners on the lease, he wants the same information from them.
Is this reasonable? Or am I just setting myself up for identity theft?
Furthermore, how should I go about checking him out? Is getting his background check and credit history a good idea?
Background:
The landlord lives in NY and the apartment is in CT. I have not yet met him in person, but we’ve talked over the phone. I’ve seen the apartment and met with the current residents, who say the landlord is great. I’ve done some preliminary web searches to check up on him, and he’s almost certainly who he says he is.