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Before landlords hand over the keys, they often want to see your credit score, income, rental history, background check, and just about everything else they can find.

This renter didn’t think much about that until problems started popping up a few months after moving in.

That’s when another tenant told him those same issues had been happening long before he ever signed the lease.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help but wonder why landlords get to know everything about their tenants while tenants know almost nothing about the people they’re renting from.

If he had known about those problems beforehand, he says he never would have signed the lease in the first place.

Keep reading to see what else he had to say.

Why do landlords get to know everything about you, but you know almost nothing about them?

When you apply for an apartment, they check everything — credit, income, rental history, background. You hand over your entire financial profile just to be considered.

But when it comes to the landlord, you’re relying on a short showing and a gut feeling.

I moved into a place last year where everything seemed fine upfront. Responsive before signing, nothing obviously wrong.

Unfortunately, he didn’t find out until it was too late.

A few months in, issues started coming up. Later found out from another tenant the same things had been happening before I moved in. He already knew the pattern. I had no idea. And by then I was locked in.

They have years of data on you before you sign. You get a 20-minute walkthrough.

What’s something you wish you knew beforehand that would’ve changed your decision?

Yeah! Any time you’re dealing with someone else, you’re taking a risk.

Let’s see if the folks over at Reddit had answers for his question.

At least it’s something.

Obviously, but the tenant is also taking a risk.

This really should already exist.

That sounds like some bad luck.

He does make a good point.

Of course, landlords have every right to protect themselves before handing over the keys. After all, they’re taking a financial risk and want to know they’re renting to someone who will pay on time and take care of the property.

But, at the same time, renters are taking a risk too. Once they sign that lease, they’re locked into a contract, and they often don’t find out about recurring problems until it’s too late to back out.

Maybe there isn’t a perfect solution, but it would be nice if renters had an easier way to see a landlord’s track record before signing.