Meet Sarah, a nurse from Spanish Town. She's been a model tenant for seven years, pays rent early every month, maintains her apartment beautifully, respects neighbours, and never causes problems. But when she applied for a nicer property in a better neighborhood, the landlord couldn't verify any of this.

All those years of responsible behaviour is invisible. From the landlord's perspective, she looked the same as someone who'd been evicted three times.

That's the problem with traditional rental markets: good behaviour goes unrecognised. Responsible tenants get no verifiable credit for doing everything right.

Cleared™ offers solid tenant screening services, but also invented a tenant rating system that landlords anonymously use to document feedback on their tenants, so other landlords can use the context. Tenants can request ratings from their landlords in advance, to build their profile.

The Invisible Tenant Problem

In Jamaica's rental market, good tenants are overlooked in multiple ways:

No Verification of Positive History

When Sarah tells a new landlord she's been an excellent tenant for seven years, there's no way to prove it. The landlord might call her current landlord, but what if that landlord doesn't answer? What if they're traveling? What if they've sold the property and moved?

Her perfect track record disappears into the void.

Same Scrutiny as Problem Tenants

Good tenants and problem tenants face the same lengthy screening process. Sarah, who's never missed a payment, waits just as long for approval as someone with three evictions. There's no fast track for responsible renters, and there's no way to differentiate them.

No Competitive Advantage

When multiple people apply for the same property, good tenants have no way to stand out. They compete equally with everyone else, even though their history shows they're dramatically lower risk, and even when their competitor falsifies their information.

No Incentive Recognition

Most frustrating of all: there's no tangible benefit to being a great tenant. You pay on time for years, maintain the property perfectly, follow all lease terms, and it means nothing when you apply for your next place.

How Good Ratings Work

Tenant ratings fix this by creating a verified track record of responsible behavior.

Documented Payment History

Every on-time payment builds your rating. After years of consistent payments, the tenant has proof of financial reliability. New landlords can see immediately that they're low-risk.

Property Care Recognition

Landlords can note when the tenant maintains the property well, report issues promptly, and leave units in excellent condition. This positive feedback becomes part of their rental resume.

Compliance Record

Following lease terms, respecting quiet hours, maintaining good neighbour relations—all of this contributes to the tenant's rating. Responsible behaviour is finally recognised and valued.

Verified References

Instead of hoping their previous landlord answers the phone, a tenant's rating carries verified feedback from multiple landlords across years. Their reputation travels with them in a secure platform.

The Fast Track for Responsible Renters

Here's where tenant ratings become truly powerful for good tenants.

Priority Consideration

When landlords see an applicant with an excellent rating—years of on-time payments, multiple positive landlord reviews, no complaints—they prioritise that application. Why risk an unknown when you have a proven excellent tenant?

Faster Approval

Verification is already done. Payment history is documented. References are verified. Landlords can approve good tenants in hours instead of days or weeks.

Better Properties

Landlords with premium properties can be selective. They want the best tenants. A tenant's high rating makes them competitive for properties that would otherwise be out of reach.

Incentive for Good Behaviour

This is the subtle magic of rating systems: they create incentives for responsible behaviour.

Short-Term Thinking Changes

Without ratings, a tenant might think: "I'll pay rent late this month and catch up later. Who will know?"

With ratings, that same tenant thinks: "If I pay late, it affects my rating. That could hurt my next rental application. Better pay on time."

Long-Term Value Creation

Suddenly, being a good tenant isn't just about avoiding eviction—it's about building an asset. Their rating is valuable. It opens doors. It saves them time and money in future rental searches.

Smart tenants realise that every month of responsible behaviour is an investment in their rental future.

Market Differentiation

Good tenants want to stand out from bad tenants. Ratings finally let them do that. "I'm not just another applicant—look at my track record."

Sarah's Story Continued

After tenant ratings launched, Sarah's rental experience changed dramatically:

Old Process (without ratings)

Applied for better property in New Kingston
Waited two weeks for landlord to check references
Previous landlord was traveling, unreachable
Application delayed, then rejected (landlord got nervous about verification delays)
Lost opportunity to someone else

New Process (with ratings)
Applied for property with verified excellent rating
Landlord saw: 7 years of on-time payments, glowing reviews, zero issues
Approved within 24 hours
Landlord offered slight rent discount for excellent rating ("worth it to guarantee a good tenant")

Sarah's years of responsible behaviour finally paid off. Her good rating became her competitive advantage.

Creating a Virtuous Cycle

As tenant ratings become standard in Jamaica, all parties win.

Good Tenants Benefit

Faster approvals
Access to better properties
Lower deposits (some landlords may offer this for high-rated tenants)

Landlords Benefit

Easier tenant selection
Lower risk
Better relationships
Reduced turnover (good tenants stay longer when they feel valued)

Problem Tenants Face Pressure

Poor ratings limit options
They're forced to improve behaviour or face restricted rental market
Incentive to reform and build better ratings over time

The Market Improves

Transparency increases
Trust develops between landlords and tenants
Disputes decrease
Professional rental culture emerges

A Rental Resume

A tenant can now think of their rating as a rental resume. Just like a job resume documents their work history and qualifications, their tenant rating documents their rental history and reliability.

And just like a strong job resume opens career doors, a strong tenant rating opens rental doors.

Responsible behaviour deserves recognition. For too long, good tenants have been invisible in Jamaica's rental market. Tenant ratings finally give them the credit they've earned and the advantages they deserve.

Cleared™ helps landlords and tenants build better rental relationships, and facilitates rewards for responsible tenants with verified positive ratings that make renting easier and faster.

For landlords: rate a tenant and use our tenant screening service for your next tenant

For tenants: get the Cleared™ app, request a rating from your landlord and build your rental resume

Rewarding Good Tenants with Positive Ratings