Tenant selection is the highest-leverage decision a landlord makes. Every problem that follows is far more likely when the wrong person got approved.
Before you post the listing, write down your minimum requirements. Minimum credit score. Income threshold. Eviction history policy. Criminal background standards. These criteria need to exist in writing before you meet a single applicant — not because it is bureaucratic, but because it protects you legally and keeps your decision-making consistent.
Fair housing law requires that you apply the same standards to every applicant for the same property. If you invent criteria mid-process to justify a decision you already made intuitively, you are exposed. Written criteria decided in advance are your documentation that you applied objective standards uniformly.
Credit score of 620 or higher · Monthly income of 3× the rent · No eviction judgments in the last three years · No convictions for violence, theft, or property damage · Verifiable rental history. Adjust to your market — document what you use and apply it consistently.
Zillow, Realtor.com, Apartments.com, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist are the primary channels for most residential rentals. Post quality photos — tenants scroll past listings with dark or incomplete photos regardless of price. Shoot every room, the exterior, and any outdoor space.
A complete background report covers: full credit history with payment detail, nationwide criminal background across all 50 states, eviction records nationwide, SSN verification, and judgments and liens. Nationwide eviction search matters because 40% of tenants with eviction history have records in states other than where they currently live.
Approve the applicant who best meets your written criteria. If an applicant does not qualify, deny them and issue an Adverse Action Notice as required by the FCRA. Keep all applications, screening reports, and decision documentation for at least three years.