How to Screen Tenants: A Step-by-Step Checklist
Choosing a tenant is one of the biggest decisions you make as a landlord. A good screening process helps you find someone who will pay on time and take care of your home. Just as important, a consistent process helps you treat every applicant fairly.
Free printable for this guide: Tenant Screening Checklist
Here's a simple, repeatable way to do it.
Start with fair housing
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status (including households with children under 18 and people who are pregnant) and disability, according to HUD. It applies to how you advertise, what you ask, and how you decide.
Many states and cities protect additional groups, and some have their own rules about screening, such as limits on fees or on what records you can consider. Rules vary by state and city, so check your local rules.
The best everyday protection is consistency: use the same written criteria, the same questions and the same steps for every applicant.
Step 1: Write down your criteria first
Before you list the unit, decide what you'll look at and what you need to see. For example:
- Income compared to rent
- Rental history and references
- Credit history
- Background check results
- Number of occupants (within your local occupancy rules)
Write it down and apply it the same way to everyone. Base your criteria on things that relate to paying rent and caring for the property. HUD has also issued guidance warning that screening policies can violate the Fair Housing Act if they have an unjustified discriminatory effect, even without intent.
Step 2: Collect a complete application
Ask every applicant for the same information and documents. Don't start evaluating until the application is complete, so everyone is judged on the same facts. Get written permission before running credit or background checks.
Step 3: Verify income
Ask for documents like recent pay stubs, offer letters, or bank statements, and confirm them. Be consistent about which types of income you accept. Some states and cities require landlords to consider certain income sources, such as housing vouchers, so check your local rules.
Step 4: Check rental history
Call previous landlords, not just the current one. A current landlord who wants a tenant gone may give a glowing review. Useful questions:
- Did they pay rent on time?
- Did they give proper notice before moving?
- Was the unit in good condition when they left?
- Would you rent to them again?
Step 5: Run credit and background checks
Tenant screening reports from screening companies are consumer reports under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), according to the FTC. That brings a few responsibilities:
- You need a permissible purpose to get a report, and you can't use it for another reason.
- If you reject an applicant, require a co-signer, ask for a bigger deposit or charge higher rent based even partly on a report, the FTC says you must give an adverse action notice. It must include the screening company's name, address and phone number, a statement that the company didn't make the decision, and the applicant's right to dispute errors and get a free copy of the report within 60 days.
- The FTC says the notice is required even if the report played only a small part in your decision, and recommends giving it in writing so you have proof.
Step 6: Decide and document
Compare each applicant against your written criteria and record your decision and the reason. If several applicants qualify, many landlords take the first complete, qualified application. Whatever approach you use, use it every time.
Keep your screening records organized and secure, since applications contain sensitive personal information.
Get the free checklist: Our Tenant Screening Checklist walks you through every step and gives you space to record your decision, so you screen every applicant the same way. Download it free here.
Hand applicants our Rental Application Document Checklist so they bring everything up front, and once you've chosen a tenant, start a Tenant Contact Sheet.
FAQ
Can I turn down an applicant because of something in their screening report?
You can make decisions based on legitimate criteria, applied consistently and in line with fair housing laws. If a report played any part in a denial, the FTC says you must give an adverse action notice. Some states and cities limit what you can consider, so check your local rules.
Does the Fair Housing Act apply to landlords with only a few units?
The Fair Housing Act has some narrow exemptions for certain small owners, but the law itself says those exemptions don't cover its ban on discriminatory advertising and statements (42 U.S.C. 3603(b), referring to 3604(c)). State and local laws may also apply even when a federal exemption does. Treat fair housing as applying to you.
Can I charge an application fee?
Many landlords do, but some states and cities limit or regulate application and screening fees. Check your local rules.
The LandlordPrintables team
This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state and city, so check your local rules.
Sources: HUD, Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All; HUD, Guidance on Application of the Fair Housing Act to the Screening of Applicants for Rental Housing (2024, archived); FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know; CFPB, What should I do if my rental application is denied because of a tenant screening report?; 42 U.S.C. 3603, Fair Housing Act exemptions