How Portable Tenant Is Disrupting Tenant Screening & Rental Applications for Landlords and Renters

Share via:

• Facebook
• X (Twitter)
• LinkedIn
• More

Subscribe via:

Show Summary

In this conversation, Jitka Bedford discusses her vision to transform the rental application process in the United States. She emphasizes the need for a more efficient system where renters can present their rental resumes instead of going through traditional application hurdles. The discussion also touches on recent legislative changes in Colorado that support the acceptance of portable tenant screening reports, paving the way for a more streamlined process.

Resources and Links from this show:

• • • Investor Fuel Real Estate Mastermind
    • Investor Machine Real Estate Lead Generation
    • Mike on Facebook
    • Mike on Instagram
    • Mike on LinkedIn
    • Jitka Bedford’s Website
    • Jitka Bedford on Instagram
    • Jitka Bedford on Facebook
    • Jitka Bedford on LinkedIn
    • Jitka Bedford’s Email: [email protected]
    • Jitka Bedford’s Email: [email protected]

  Listen to the Audio Version of this Episode

  Investor Fuel Show Transcript:

  Jitka Bedford (00:00)
  Yes, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. So yes, I’m based in Colorado. uh and what I do is I basically am aiming to change the way renters apply for rental properties in the United States. So for a long time, I am a landlord and for a long, long time always but me.

  that I had to request an application fee and review applications and decline applicants and they have to pay application fees somewhere else. And so I thought, why can’t they just bring me their rental resume? Why do I have to dig this information from them and dig for every piece of data? Um So.

  That’s what I’m aiming to do, honestly.

  Quentin (02:19)
  Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I am your host Q Edmonds. excited to be here today. Super excited about my guests and the message that she’s going to talk about. What she’s going to talk about is very much needed. It almost sounds like there’s been a monopoly kind of within this industry, and she’s coming to break that monopoly up. And so I’m excited. I’m going to let tell you all about it, but I want to introduce you to Ms. Jitka Bedford.

  Ms. Jitka how you doing today, ma’am?

  Jitka Bedford (02:50)
  Hello Quentin, thank you for having me on. I’m grateful for your platform honestly and sharing the word with your audience in the real estate world.

  Quentin (03:01)
  Absolutely. Well, listen, I’m so glad to have you on, so grateful to get to know a little bit about you and what it is that you’re passionate about. And so listen, I’m be honest. I want us to dive in. I want you to take us into your world. Tell us what your main focus is these days. Maybe give us a little bit of origin story about how you got started, kind of how you got passionate about what you do. And then if you want to tell us where you are in the world as well. So you got the floor, Ms. Jitka, please fill us in now.

  Jitka Bedford (03:30)
  Yes, thank you. Thank you for ⁓ the opportunity. ⁓ So yes, I’m based in Colorado. uh and what I do is I basically am aiming to change the way ⁓ renters apply for rental properties in the United States. So for a long time, I am a landlord and for a long, long time always but me.

  that I had to request an application fee and review applications and decline applicants and they have to pay application fees somewhere else. And so I thought, why can’t they just bring me their rental resume? Why do I have to dig this information from them and dig for every piece of data? Um So.

  That’s what I’m aiming to do, honestly.

  So with the legislation changing here in Colorado for ⁓ the landlords to accept portable tenant screening reports, and basically they have to accept them as long as they are 30 days old. They include credit, criminal eviction, verification of employment, as long as they include all that and they are

  shared through a credit reporting agency directly. There’s basically no obstacle for me to change the world the way it works. So yes, I’ve been passionate about it for a while. And I think finally now it’s the time with the legislation changing and other states are following suit as well. know California, Washington, Illinois, Rhode Island.

  Quentin (05:00)
  Yeah. Yeah.

  Jitka Bedford (06:04)
  Maryland, think Florida is looking into it. These states, however, they don’t require the landlord to accept it, but they encourage the landlord to accept it. I think they’re helping me to change the way renters apply with just one rental application fee with one affordable tenant screening report to multiple properties. So

  Quentin (06:27)
  Yeah.

  Jitka Bedford (06:28)
  Let’s hope it catches on.

  So my company, Portable Tenon, will be launching in December, so really soon. And we’re doing really well with all the developments. So something to look forward to and I’ll definitely keep you guys updated once we’re live.

  Quentin (06:36)
  Beautiful, yeah.

  Absolutely, I love it. So a portable tenant sound like it’s going to be a great impact for people. What is something as you build? know you said the March is December. So you’re building, you’re in the midst of building. What are some of the key strategies? What are some of the core strategies that’s going to be at the foundation of portable tenant?

  Jitka Bedford (07:04)
  The key strategies. we are actually, even though we are a product for the renter, we are now looking for property managers who would like to embrace this first, this portability of tenant screen reports and the fact that the renters will own this, we call it rents Zumei. So

  Quentin (07:33)
  I that.

  Jitka Bedford (07:33)
  The renters

  will own it. Yes. So it kind of came to me the way I imagined it. We call it Renzume. So my Renzume is going to be the product of what I’m building. So we are looking for property managers to become founding members. And in order to…

  Quentin (07:39)
  Yeah, I love it.

  Jitka Bedford (07:58)
  for us to get going. know every startup has issues just to get the traction. We are looking for every property manager who signs up, we’re going to give them lifetime affiliate fee for 20 % of every tenant screening. So if you are property manager looking at this podcast now, go to portable tenant and we’re going to have a little signup sheet.

  I think maybe Monday, not today yet, but Monday, you will be able to sign up and become a founding member. And with every tenant screening you send to Portable Tenant and you get 20%. ⁓ But this is a very limited time. I want to stress this. It’s only going to last until December. So because I can’t afford to pay commissions for everybody for

  Quentin (08:45)
  Yeah.

  Hehehe!

  Jitka Bedford (08:57)
  for lifetime. But I’m looking for these relationships with property managers. yeah, you’re welcome to come to Portable Tenant or email me at hello @ Portable Tenant and I will get you on. So that’s what I’m do.

  Quentin (08:59)
  Yeah.

  Yeah.

  I love it, listen, I, I,

  Yeah, I love it. Listen, listen, I love what you’re doing. love, listen, you’re trying to tell property managers, listen, get in on the ground floor. You know, you got to tell December, get in on the ground floor. And I love it. I love what you’re building. Now, let me ask you this, know, building a business, like you said, it’s not, it’s not always easy. It hasn’t always been easy. It’s not always going to be easy. So as you build out Portable Tenant, and even as you embrace like this new way of doing things,

  Have you had any moments when things got real, baby, like when things didn’t go to where you was expecting and you had to pivot fast? Like, have you had any friction as you built without Portable Tenant?

  Jitka Bedford (10:36)
  No. You know why? Because I worked in tenant screening for 15 years. I know all these laws. I know all these ropes. I know the integration, for example, with Experian. Experian is telling me this is the fastest integration we ever had. The fastest was six months and we got it done in three. And so I have so much knowledge. I know.

  that I am the right person to do this and to take this project and change the way tenant screening works in the United States, not only in Colorado, but in the United States. And honestly, I felt this huge calling for a long time and I’m doing it.

  Quentin (11:30)
  Yeah, yeah, I love it when they check it.

  Jitka Bedford (11:32)
  401k,

  401k is online by the way.

  Quentin (11:37)
  listen, before we close out this show, I’m gonna make sure people know exactly how to get in contact with you. So I promise, we’re gonna make sure people get connected with you because you have a vision, a vision that’s really gonna help out a lot of people. And so we’re definitely gonna make sure people know exactly how to get in contact with you. And so, know, I’m listening to you. I know you talking about changing this, Tinnacretins in Colorado.

  Jitka Bedford (11:51)
  Yes.

  Quentin (12:06)
  And I’m sure you even said like across the United States. So what’s the real goal for portable tenant? Like what is the long-term goal that you see for portable tenant in the future?

  Jitka Bedford (12:20)
  Yes, very good question. The goal for Portable Tenon is exactly this. I have a property for rent and instead of getting a message, hey, I would like to tour your property. I would like to get my rent zoom in from Portable Tenon and review it and see if this person is qualified or not. And then then schedule a tour.

  If this person is qualified, I don’t want to waste renters time and give them their hopes up touring my beautiful property when they can’t qualify or their moving date is bad or they have a kitten. ⁓ So all of that is playing a factor and all of that is it could be served in a first initial contact.

  on the rental application on the portable tenant screening report based on your tenant screening criteria, of course, and your criteria as a landlord. So that’s my goal.

  Quentin (13:32)
  I love it. I love it. you know, I hear you, you know, of course you’re coming in contact with people. You got tenants. I know you’re talking about growing this. I can see other people adopting your vision. Like you’re saying, you’re looking for property managers to get in on the town, on the ground floor. So it sounds like to me that relationships are important to you. So I want to talk about a little bit about relationships.

  When it comes to building relationships, you’re out looking on building relationships. What’s made the biggest difference for you building relationships and growing your network?

  Jitka Bedford (14:09)
  Yes, you know, honestly, I am finding it now how the network is important. yes, I, for me as a landlord, actually, I like to keep a good relationship with the tenant. Um, so I’m hoping to do the same in the student screen business and in my tenant screening.

  tenure for the last 15 years, I made great relationships with the property managers. And actually, the property managers are also those who kind of pushed me towards this business. They don’t want to do the admin work. They don’t want to go and screen renters. They would like it just like me.

  just to get it on a silver platter through portable tenant. So I am hoping that I will change people’s lives for the better and whether they’re a property manager or a renter, I am hoping just to make a big difference. That’s all.

  Quentin (15:41)
  Yeah.

  Yeah,

  yeah, no, absolutely. And I firmly believe that you will make a big difference. You know, I know, you know, sometimes we find out passion through pain. And so because you’ve been in this business, you’ve seen the pain points, the bottlenecks, and you’re really trying to solve a problem. And I feel like this is where this passion is going to make sure you’re successful.

  Jitka Bedford (16:13)
  Mm-hmm.

  Yeah.

  Quentin (16:27)
  You know, when you serve people, believe that the foundation of any successful business is servitude. When you feel like you are actually serving people, providing a service that can really help people. And so when I listen to you talk about portable tenant, that’s what I hear. I hear that this is service to people. And so it’s no doubt in my mind that you will be successful. No doubt in my mind.

  Jitka Bedford (16:51)
  thank you Quentin. This actually this matter so much because as you know, every business owner, they basically just leave to cross the sea and they have to be comfortable with not seeing the shore. And that’s how I feel right now. Okay, just swimming and just getting somewhere just one day at a time.

  Quentin (17:09)
  Mmm. Yeah.

  Jitka Bedford (17:20)
  Of course, I have doubts. Of course I do. But I think the passion for the end result, the goal ⁓ is much stronger than any doubt I’ve ever had. you know, also is, ⁓ fear is the only thing I fear. Yes. So I…

  Quentin (17:33)
  Yes. Ooh, I love that.

  Yeah. Ooh! Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

  Jitka Bedford (17:48)
  I feel like this will take off, it will be successful and I hope that property managers would embrace it even in other states other than Colorado. But in Colorado, I know it’s been such a pain for ⁓ property managers because we did not have a solution. But now that there is a solution, it actually will make their lives much easier as well. And we’re…

  bringing beautiful reports. You should see the reports we’re building. So user friendly, easy to read, just colorful, just somewhere where 2025 report should look like, not the black and white and dig for information. So I hope that they will find our product very helpful.

  Quentin (18:32)
  Yeah.

  Yes, I’m sure they will. Such a beautiful analogy about swimming. Such a beautiful analogy. And what I heard is that impossible is only impossible until it happens.

  Quentin (18:52)
  And so listen, before we wrap, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, learn more about what you’re doing, how can they get in contact with you yet?

  Jitka Bedford (19:04)
  Right, so you can find me everywhere on the socials, Portable Tenant as well. So LinkedIn is at Jitka Bedford. So with J J I T K A Bedford. as well as I have Instagram, I have Facebook, I have, Tik Tok as well, for Portable Tenant only. So we’re getting these socials up.

  Also, my email address is ⁓ Jitka, so J-I-T-K-A @ Portable Tenant or hello @ Portable Tenant. I’ll get it.

  Quentin (19:39)
  I love it. Listen, thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for your story. Thank you for your perspective. Thank you for your passion. Thank you for doing what you’re doing, preserving people and making sure that they find a better way to get this done. I think this is totally awesome. And I really appreciate you coming through today.

  Jitka Bedford (19:58)
  Thank you so much, Quentin. My pleasure.

  Quentin (20:01)
  Absolutely. So listen, y’all got the value. Y’all heard what’s going on. Please make sure you subscribe. That way you can come back in and continue to get this amazing content. So Ms. Yeca, thank you again so much. And to everyone else, we’ll see you on the next time.