ADAPTING TO AZIBO SCREENING

We first made Azibo available to a beta-test group of members in July and expanded  to all members in August of this year. On September 26, we fully replaced the RHAWA screening service with our third-party solution, Azibo. As with anything, change is difficult, but for most of the almost 900 members using Azibo, the transition was simple, and the new system is easy to use. Especially over this last month as members may have been caught off guard with the discontinuation of our old system, we have received a few more questions, complaints, and suggestions to improve. While we certainly understand the frustration when dealing with a few speed bumps, we are grateful that this new solution is working well for most of our members. The following are some of the questions and issues we have been addressing:

WHY DID RHAWA STOP PROVIDING SCREENING REPORTS DIRECTLY?

Due to the increased legal risks of providing screening services, our Board of Directors determined we could no longer offer the RHAWA screening service to members. Azibo is a third-party system that was carefully vetted by a member task force. The TransUnion screening report you will get through Azibo is requested from and owned by the prospective tenant. The report is then automatically shared with you. All of this happens seamlessly within the Azibo application which also  provides comprehensive property management services including digital leasing and rent pay.

WHY DOES AZIBO ASK FOR DETAILS ABOUT ALL MY PROPERTIES?

You do not have to set up access to your bank account or fill in all the details of all your properties if you do not want to. If you are only screening for one unit at a time, just enter each unit as needed (see the 10-step, 2-minute process below). Azibo prompts you to enter all your business information because it is designed to provide you with a full-service experience like Appfolio or Buildium, without the steep monthly subscription cost. The idea is that you can keep records for each of your rental units allowing you to manage tenant ledgers, maintenance & repair, and income and expenses for your entire rental business. Azibo does not sell or give your data to any third parties other than transactions approved by you, such as setting up a banking relationship or insurance. 

HOW DOES AZIBO MAKE MONEY?

By partnering with associations like RHAWA to provide the lawyer-reviewed legal forms for each state, Azibo can provide services to our members who are generally small independent housing providers and cannot afford to use full property management applications. Azibo’s revenue comes from renters who pay screening fees, interest on cash deposits in Azibo bank accounts, fees for credit card payments, and subscription services for tenants such as credit boost and insurance.

WHAT’S THE FASTEST WAY TO START SCREENING WITH AZIBO?

Getting started just takes minutes! Remember, the system is set up to let you enter information about all your units so you can manage everything from this easy-to-use tool, but you can also just add individual units as you go! You can start screening for your first vacancy by just entering the address for the one unit you are trying to fill now. Just 10 steps from start to finish!

TEN STEPS TO ORDER A SCREENING REPORT IN TWO MINUTES:

1. Click the button Create a new portfolio. This will create an empty portfolio called “first name” Portfolio 1. (You can edit this by clicking on the pencil button.)
2. Click on Add Property. Enter details for the property you are trying to fill. Note: The “Unit 1” field must contain something even for Single Family Home. Enter anything like Blue House, Cottage, etc.
3. At this point, you can create payment terms or click on the “X” in the upper right corner to go straight to ordering screening.
4. Click on Renter Screening, and then Invite to apply. Here is a link to a quick walkthrough of this process. “https://app.supademo.com/demo/cm0fgmb1b0du9w8i4ohfsgbt7” The first time here, you will be invited to review RHAWA’s Application Criteria Guidelines for help with writing your instructions to apply and the criteria for denial. If you have already written this statement, click on I understand and don’t need to see this again. Otherwise, click Show Me How and create your statement.
5. Select the property and unit you are filling.
6. Select the Application type. With Azibo, you have the option to request your applicant complete one of these application methods:

You can see a “preview” of the report by clicking on View sample application and screening report. Click Exit preview mode to go back.

7. Click on Include custom application instructions and criteria notice and copy/paste or type your statement into the box provided.
8. Input your applicant’s contact information to send a direct invitation link or copy the application quick link and embed the link wherever you are receiving applicants.
9. Once an applicant has submitted their application, you will see it under the In Review tab on the Renter screening page. Click on an application to view the details.
    a. If you select the 1-step application process with both application and background check you will see the Application, Documents, credit, eviction proceedings, and criminal data.
    b. If you select Application only, you will see only the Application and Documents. Click Request background check and wait for it to appear under In Review. 
10. After reviewing the application and background report, you can click on the Decline button to send the Adverse Action notice, or click on Offer unit.

CAN I STILL COLLECT PAPER APPLICATIONS?

Many of our members have a standard procedure that includes collecting a paper application and then sending in a request for a background check by providing the person’s name, date of birth, and SSN. Unfortunately, we can no longer support this workflow because we can no longer complete the landlord certification process required by the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. (This was where we validated you are a landlord and have the ability to keep confidential records private.)

Following are a few suggested changes to your procedures so you can adapt to using Azibo or a similar web-based system:

    • Let people know the application works great on smartphones, tablets, and computers.
    • You could continue to collect paper applications and for those that meet your criteria on paper, request that they complete the online screening process by emailing the Azibo invitation to them.
    • Have your showing visitors sign their names, print their email addresses, and indicate if they want to receive the application link.
    • Use the two-step application process described above so you can potentially eliminate people who do not meet income requirements, landlord referrals, etc. before you ask them to complete the $39.99 background check.
    • If a prospect does not have a smartphone, tablet, or computer, they can access a computer and get help at their local public library.

CAN I CALL AZIBO FOR HELP?

Yes, you can contact Azibo support directly by emailing support@azibo.com or calling 855-920-9907 during business hours (9am-5pm PT, M-F). If you have to leave a message, please leave as much detail as possible. It is not necessary to call more than once, as their team will get back to you as quickly as they are able.