You may’ve seen the headlines. Unsuspecting tenants who are responsibly paying their rent on time are among a growing number of foreclosure victims – as many as 40 percent of renters in single-family housing are being evicted from foreclosed rental properties after their cash-strapped landlords stop paying the mortgage, reports the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Washington, D.C.

To protect yourself from being added to this list of displaced tenants, the Associated Press recommends three steps for checking up on your landlord’s financial stability:

1. Search county courthouse records. Sift through the district court or county recorder’s office records in person or online to see if they show that county has filed any foreclosure actions against your landlord. You can also check to see if there are any records indicating that your landlord has ever filed for personal bankruptcy.

2. Call the Better Business Bureau. Ask if there are any complaints on file against your landlord. Maybe previous tenants left with good reason: your landlord wasn’t financially responsible.

3. Look at your rental property with fresh eyes. Do a walk-through of your residence and look for any signs of neglect. Are there repairs your landlord hasn’t followed through on? A lack of maintenance on the home could be a sign that your landlord can’t afford the upkeep of the house or doesn’t want to spend the money to fix up a property that’s about to go into foreclosure.

If you discover that your landlord is headed toward foreclosure, check out our tips on what you can do to keep a roof over your head and soften the blow.

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