Tenant Screening Checklist

Log name, phone, email, target move-in date, and the unit they're inquiring about into AppFolio, Buildium, or your CRM. Tag the lead source (Zillow, Apartments.com, walk-in) so marketing spend can be measured later.

Use the same script for every prospect: target move-in date, household size, gross monthly income, smoking, and service animal vs. pet. Do not ask about familial status, disability, national origin, or voucher status in jurisdictions with source-of-income protections — Fair Housing Act exposure attaches at first contact, not at application.

Book the showing through Tenant Turner, Showdigs, Rently, or in-person calendar. Confirm the unit is fully make-ready before showing — a half-finished unit drops application conversion sharply.

Send the NAA-style application along with the FCRA disclosure-and-authorization form for credit and background screening. Every adult occupant 18+ submits a separate application — co-signers included.

Confirm SSN or ITIN, government-issued ID, current and prior addresses (two years minimum), employer info, and the signed FCRA authorization. Incomplete applications cannot be screened — return to applicant rather than guessing at missing fields.

Charge the same fee to every applicant; uneven fees create discrimination claims. Some states cap the fee (CA, MA, WI) — confirm the current ceiling before processing. Fee should reflect actual screening cost.

Run the report through TransUnion SmartMove, Experian RentBureau, RentPrep, or your PMS's built-in screening (AppFolio, Buildium). Score against your published threshold (commonly 620-680 FICO). Apply the threshold uniformly across applicants.

Per HUD's 2016 guidance, blanket bans on any criminal history are Fair Housing violations. Use an individualized assessment: nature of offense, time since conviction, evidence of rehabilitation. Some jurisdictions (Seattle, Oakland, NJ statewide) restrict what can be considered or when in the process.

Eviction filings (not just judgments) appear in court records and most screening services. Note that some states (NJ, NY, CA per AB 2819) seal or restrict reporting of dismissed cases — don't deny based on a sealed filing.

Two most recent pay stubs for W-2 employees; for self-employed applicants use two years of tax returns plus three months of bank statements. Accept Section 8 vouchers, SSI/SSDI, and child support as income in source-of-income protected jurisdictions — refusing them is a Fair Housing violation.

Call HR or use The Work Number; do not rely on a phone number provided by the applicant. Confirm position, start date, and gross income. Document who you spoke to and when in the applicant file.

Industry standard is 3x gross monthly rent; some markets use 2.5x. Apply the same ratio across all applicants. If income falls short, consider co-signer or additional security deposit only if your published policy allows it.

Verify the prior landlord is actually the landlord — search the address in county assessor records to confirm ownership. A reference from the applicant's friend posing as a landlord is the most common reference fraud.

Ask: timely payments, NSFs, lease violations, notice given before vacating, and whether the landlord would re-rent to them. Document the answers verbatim.

Cross-check the applicant's stated reason against the landlord's account. Mismatches (applicant says "end of lease", landlord says "non-payment notice served") are the strongest signal of future problems.

Compare credit score, income ratio, rental history, and background results against the firm's written rental criteria. Decisions must be defensible against the criteria — not subjective. Keep the scored worksheet in the applicant file.

Process applications in the order received; first qualified applicant gets the unit. Reviewer should be a different person from the leasing agent who took the application when possible — separation of duties limits bias claims.

Required when a denial is based in whole or in part on a credit, criminal, or rental history report. Notice must include the consumer reporting agency's name, address, and phone; a statement that the agency did not make the decision; and the applicant's right to a free copy of the report and to dispute its accuracy. Missing this notice is the single most common FCRA class-action trigger against landlords.

For approved applicants, send the lease offer with move-in cost breakdown (first month, security deposit, any pet deposit) and a holding deposit deadline. State whether the holding deposit applies to first month's rent or is forfeited on withdrawal — this must match state law.