8 Reasons to Do a Background Check

Seeing four police cars arrive at my neighbors house the other evening was concerning. My neighbor leases rooms in his house to anyone willing to pay the rent. I immediately concluded that he had some bad tenants. This proved to be the case and made me think; when is it a good time to perform a background check on someone?

When your Ex has a new significant other. This is the perfect time to have a background check performed, especially if this person will be spending time with your children. A simple background check in this situation could prevent a lot of heartache and give some peace of mind.

When you are dating someone you met online. It doesn't have to be someone you met online, it could be just someone you started dating but you don't know much about. This is another good time to perform a background check.

When you hire a Nanny. This doesn't mean every high school babysitter needs to be screened, but if you are going to have a full-time Nanny taking care of your children, a background check would be a good idea.

When you are looking for a new housemate, roommate or tenant. Doing a background check on anyone who is going to have full access to your household is a must. There is too much sensitive information in anyone's household available to an untrustworthy roommate.

When you are hiring an employee. This is especially true for the small business owner or sole proprietor who needs to hire outside help. A simple background check could uncover enough to make you keep looking. This might even be a good idea if you are contracting work out to other sole proprietors like bookkeepers or accountants.

When you are hiring a housecleaner. Anyone who has unlimited access to your home and belongings (especially when you aren't present) should be screened. You could be extremely vulnerable to identity theft otherwise. This is another reason to do a background check.

When you hire a caregiver. If you are hiring a caregiver other than through an agency, you should consider a background check. This is another situation where a vulnerable population would benefit from this simple step.

When you are looking for a job, thinking about adoption or even applying to college. You might consider doing a background check on yourself in these situations. It would be a good time to clear up any misunderstandings or false information that could create difficulties.