Being a successful landlord starts with finding the right tenants, and that starts with the rental application and screening process. Now there’s an online rental application and screening tool from Zillow to help streamline the process of managing applications and verifying the applicants’ information using the third-party tenant background checks and credit screening.

Here’s how to use this new tool to find the right renter faster.

1. Enabling applications for your properties

From the online rental application and screening tool page, click Set up applications, or go to Zillow Rental Manager where you can enable applications for each of your properties individually.

After you enable applications for your properties, you can change your preferences anytime by clicking Applications on each property you want to change.

2. Inviting someone to apply

Once you’ve enabled applications, you can invite prospective tenants to apply after you’ve listed your property for rent. Click on Applications for the property you are renting, and then click the Invite someone to apply button at the bottom of the page.

In the dialog box that appears, just enter the applicant’s name and email address, and they’ll receive an automatically generated email. If there’s more than one person in the interested party — say, a couple or group of friends who are looking for a place together — you only need to invite one member of the group to apply. On the application form, they will be able to invite the other applicants.

The applicant can apply directly from the email they receive. They are charged a one-time fee of $35 that covers the service, including the credit and background checks, which they can then use to apply to as many rentals as they want or need to within 30 days. If there is a couple or a group applying together, each person over 18 needs to pay the $35 fee.

The potential renter is asked to provide the following information:

• Their legal name and contact information
• Any co-applicants or pets
• When they are available to move in
• Residence history for the past three years
• Income and employment history
• Emergency contact information
• Details needed to run the credit report and background check, including the $35 fee, date of birth and social security number

Once they have completed the questions, the applicant will receive confirmation that their identity has been verified and their payment processed, and they will be able to view the screening reports right away. They can also submit their application and background reports to you when they're ready. They’ll get a confirmation that their application has been submitted.

You’ll get an email letting you know you’ve received an application, including the screenings, after the applicant has submitted. You can review the application directly from this email or from the property in your Zillow Rental Manager dashboard.

In addition to you actively inviting potential tenants to apply to rent your property, an Apply now button will appear on your listings. Anyone interested in renting your listed property can send you an application using this button, so be on the lookout for applications in your email inbox from those who you haven’t specifically invited to apply. Your next renter could be one of these unsolicited applications.

3. Reviewing applicant information

Once you’ve started to receive applications from potential renters, you can review the information each applicant has provided as well as their credit and background reports. From the available property, click Applications. You’ll see a list with your completed applications.

You might also see applications that are still pending in your dashboard. An application is pending if the applicant you invited, or one or more of their co-applicants if they are applying with others, has not completed all of their application. You'll be able to view applications once they are completed.

4. Managing your applicants

Under Applications for your property you’ll see a list of Completed applications. You can click on each applicant to review a summary of their application, including when they applied, a financial summary with their income and income-to-rent ratio for your property, and renter details. From the summary you can access their full application with self-reported information, plus their credit report and background check. You can also email the applicant directly by clicking the E-mail applicants button at the top of the page.

For more information about Applications, see the FAQ in the Zillow Help Center for Landlords.