How to Screen Tenants: A Step-by-Step Guide for Landlords

Why Screening Matters

A single bad tenant can cost you months of unpaid rent, property damage, and the time and legal expense of an eviction. A consistent screening process is the cheapest insurance you can buy — and it starts long before an application comes in.

The goal

Find a resident who can comfortably afford the rent, has a track record of paying on time, and will treat the home well — using the same standards for every applicant.

Set Your Criteria First

Write down your approval standards before you list the unit, and apply them to everyone. Common, defensible criteria include:

Gross monthly income of roughly 3× the rent
A minimum credit score (e.g., 620) or no recent rental-related collections
No prior evictions within a set lookback period
Positive references from previous landlords
Verifiable, stable employment or income

Putting criteria in writing protects you: decisions become consistent and easy to justify.

Collect a Complete Application

Require every adult who will live in the unit to submit their own application. A good application captures full legal name, current and prior addresses, employment, income, and consent to run credit and background checks.

Run Credit & Background Checks

With written consent, run a credit report and a background check. You're looking for patterns — repeated late payments, rental collections, or recent evictions — not a single blemish. A criminal-history review should be individualized and comply with local law, which increasingly limits blanket bans.

Verify Income & Employment

Don't take stated income at face value. Ask for recent pay stubs, an offer letter, or bank statements, and confirm employment directly with the employer. For self-employed applicants, use tax returns or several months of bank statements.

Call Past Landlords

The previous landlord is your best source of truth. Ask: Did they pay on time? Did they give proper notice? Was the home returned in good condition? Would you rent to them again? Try to reach the landlord before the current one, who may be motivated to pass along a difficult tenant.

Stay Fair Housing Compliant

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status — and many states and cities add protected classes (source of income, age, and more). Protect yourself by applying identical criteria to every applicant, documenting your reasons, and providing an adverse-action notice if you deny someone based on a credit or background report.

Red Flags to Watch For

Reluctance to authorize a background or credit check
Inconsistent income documentation or "cash only" claims
Pressure to skip steps or move in immediately
A prior landlord who hesitates when asked "would you rent to them again?"

Screening is repetitive work — which is exactly the kind of thing software should handle. Rentway collects applications online, runs screening, and keeps every decision documented in one place, so your process stays consistent and compliant without the busywork.