Most landlord horror stories start the same way: a unit sat empty, someone seemed nice, and the paperwork got skipped. Screening is how you protect your property, your income, and your other tenants — and doing it the same way for every applicant is also how you stay on the right side of fair housing law.
Step 0: Write your criteria down first
Before you list the unit, define your standards on paper: minimum income (commonly 2.5–3× rent), acceptable credit range, rental history requirements, pet policy. Apply the same list to everyone. This isn't just good practice — consistent, documented criteria are your best defense against discrimination claims.
Know the law:the federal Fair Housing Act prohibits decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status. Many states and cities add more protected classes and restrict how you can use criminal history or source of income. When in doubt, check your state's rules.
Step 1: Use a real application
Collect it in writing (ideally online): full name, current and previous addresses, employer and income, references, and consent to run background and credit checks. An online application form keeps everything timestamped and in one place.
Step 2: Verify income
Ask for recent pay stubs, an offer letter, or bank statements for self-employed applicants. Call the employer's main line (not a cell number provided on the form) to confirm employment. Income verification catches more future problems than any other single check.
Step 3: Run credit and background checks
Use a screening service that is FCRA-compliant — it handles the applicant's consent and gives you a report you're legally allowed to use. You're looking for patterns, not perfection: repeated recent collections and evictions tell a story; an old medical bill doesn't. If you deny someone based on a report, federal law requires you to send an adverse action notice naming the reporting agency.
Step 4: Call previous landlords
Two questions do most of the work: "Did they pay on time?" and "Would you rent to them again?" Call the landlord from two leases ago, not just the current one — a current landlord with a problem tenant has an incentive to give a glowing reference.
Step 5: Decide — and document
Score the application against your written criteria and keep the file (application, reports, notes) for at least two years. If it's a yes, move straight to the lease and deposit before the applicant's situation changes.
Make it repeatable
The landlords who get burned are usually the ones improvising under vacancy pressure. Put the process in writing, run it identically every time, and let software handle the mechanical parts — applications, screening orders, and status tracking in one place.
EbSpace includes online rental applications and tenant screening (criminal, credit, and eviction checks) built into the leasing flow. Learn more →