You might feel like you don’t have the time to screen every renter — after all, you’re losing money every day your rental is vacant — but it’s a critical step in the leasing process. You need to find renters who will make your experience as a landlord as smooth as possible, but you also need to be fair in your screening process and follow fair housing guidance.

Read the steps below to learn more about how to use tenant screening tools and processes to fill your rental faster.

NOTE: This guide is provided for informational purposes only. Zillow Group, Inc. does not make any guarantees as to the sufficiency of the information contained in this guide or their compliance with current, applicable laws. This resource is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney; you should not rely on this resource for any purpose without consultation with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.

Step 1: Pre-qualify tenants at first contact

It’s exciting when people express interest in your rental. But this is exactly when you need to start the tenant screening process — before you even invite prospective tenants to a showing.

Frame your questions carefully, and consider a script

The way you ask questions can dramatically affect the way renters answer them and can also affect their perception of your fairness during the application process.

In fair housing terms, discrimination means treating someone differently because they’re part of a protected class. To minimize the possibility of inadvertent discrimination, consider using a documented and consistent method — like a script — to screen and accept applicants. With a scripted call or email you can quickly and effectively ask the questions you need answers to every time.

Start by coming up with a set of screening criteria that is shared up front and applied uniformly. Avoid questions or suggestions that can be perceived as discriminatory. Even a well-intended statement such as, “This unit would be great for a young couple,” or asking a friendly question like, “Are you two married?” can be interpreted as evidence of discrimination. 

As a rule, keep the conversation focused on the property and the amenities. Let the potential renter ask you questions so you can answer factually.

From these initial questions determine which potential applicants you’d like to move forward with.

Not right for this property?

Wait! If a prospective renter doesn’t work out for the property they’ve inquired about (like if there aren’t enough bedrooms to accommodate their family), but they’re qualified, you might have a unit that will be a better fit later.

Start a spreadsheet and add every prospective tenant so you can track the progress of each rental application and compare qualifications. If you have more than a few rental properties, get a lead-tracking system, like Zillow Rental Manager, to stay organized and match prospective tenants to available properties.

Invite qualified renters to a showing

After pre-qualifying prospective tenants from everyone who’s expressed interest, you’ll be left with a list of only the serious prospects. Invite them to take a tour of the apartment or rental property.

Step 2: Meet the applicant

Don’t skip this step! Meeting applicants is an important step in ensuring you are renting to a responsible tenant. Look for warning signs during your meeting. A good landlord-tenant relationship can go a long way toward smooth management of your rental property.

Consider hosting an open house

With a rental open house, as opposed to inviting prospective tenants to individual showings, attendees will realize that they’re not the only ones interested in the unit. This extra social pressure could motivate them to move through the application process quickly. Remember to keep track of open house attendees in your spreadsheet, and bear in mind health and safety protocols and restrictions in your area for Covid-19 when showing a property in person.

Step 3: Accept and analyze applications

It’s important to treat all applicants equally. Invite all interested renters to complete a rental application for your records. The Zillow Rental Manager application and screening tool simplifies the application process and includes background and credit screening.

Use the same criteria for all applicants

Although it’s ultimately up to you to decide who lives at your property, you need to follow the guidelines mandated by the federal Fair Housing Act and local and state laws.  Remain objective and use the same application, questions and requirements for everyone who applies to rent your property.

Ensure applicants are qualified

Carefully check all your applications for any obvious inconsistencies and don’t assume application information is accurate until you’ve run credit and reference checks. It’s not a crime to lie on a rental application form, but people might think landlords won’t check.

Step 4: Check references

Check their past landlords, employers and other references for a complete picture of your applicant’s financial and rental history. Have applicants use Zillow’s application and screening tool so that you can easily review names, phone numbers, and email addresses from previous rental managers that are listed as references.

Carefully construct questions

Most businesses have limitations on how much information they are able to disclose about their employees, so use employer references only to verify application information. For example, instead of asking, “How much does Thomas Baker earn?” ask, “Thomas Baker stated in his application that he earns $4,550 per month. Is this correct?” Yes or no questions increase the likelihood of getting a response. Again, a script can help you ask the right questions every time.

Watch for impersonators

An applicant can easily provide the name of a friend as a past landlord or employer. Carefully word your questions to ensure you’re speaking to the person you think you are.

For example, don’t tell them what their role is by saying, “Hi, I’m a landlord doing reference checks on Thomas Baker, and he listed you as his previous landlord. How was he as a tenant?” Instead, say, “Hi, I’m a landlord doing reference checks on Thomas Baker. How do you know him?” If the response is, “We met in college,” you might want to specify to the applicant that you need an actual past landlord as a reference.

Check for criminal and sex offender history

A criminal background check can also be useful and is included in Zillow’s application and screening tool. Again, talk with your applicant about any issues that arise during the background check to give them a chance to explain the circumstances before crossing them off your list.

Step 5: Run a credit report

Credit reports are an important part of the tenant screening process that can tell you a lot about a renter: payment history, bankruptcies and sometimes criminal convictions and previous evictions. Use these reports to back up the information applicants provide. Zillow’s application and screening tool includes a full “soft” credit report from Experian. Accessing this “soft” report will not affect an applicant’s credit report.

Analyze the report

After you get the report, look at their payment history and credit score. A low credit score could indicate that the applicant doesn’t make credit payments on time or owes a lot of money compared to their income. There are circumstances, however, that can result in a low credit score or poor payment history that do not mean the renter should be disqualified. For example, someone who had an unexpected medical expense and is rebuilding their credit, or someone who is just starting to create a credit history could have low credit scores. Zillow’s application and screening tool has a section that allows the applicant to comment on their credit report. Be sure to check their comments and ask your applicants about these issues before crossing them off your list.

Step 6: Choose your next renter

Review all the qualified applications you’ve received, including references and credit reports, and select the most qualified one to be your tenant. Once you do, it’s time to meet with your new tenant to review and sign the lease or rental agreement.

How to select from multiple qualified rental applications

In a competitive rental market, it’s typical to receive a dozen or more rental applications from one weekend showing alone. When you have lots of applicants vying for the same unit, you’re bound to get more than one renter who seems like a perfect fit. So how do you narrow the field and make a fair decision? Different states and cities have different regulations for selecting tenants, so check your local laws first.

Set criteria, and stick to it

Have specific criteria in place to help you streamline your tenant screening process. You can share your criteria with all prospective renters so they know how they’ll be evaluated — this can also help weed out potential applicants who don’t qualify if they can easily see that they won’t meet your requirements.

By being transparent about your credit threshold, background check requirements or proof of income, you show that the standards are equal for all applicants.

Don’t select renters with your “gut”

When you’re faced with multiple qualified renter applications, it’s tempting to start looking at their personal, nonfinancial qualities to help you select your resident. Don’t.

Accusations and investigations into discrimination can damage your reputation and leave you open to fines and lawsuits. It is best to establish, and consistently apply, specific applicant criteria.

Select renters on a first-come, first-served basis

One way to avoid the dilemma of multiple qualified renters is to lease your unit to the first qualified applicant. Keep track of when applications come in by putting a time and date stamp on them when they’re submitted (whether in person, by email or online). Evaluate the earliest submission, determine if the applicant is qualified, and either offer them the unit or reject them and move to the next person who applied.

While a first-come, first-served policy simplifies the qualification process, it also means that you need to reject all subsequent applicants, even if one of them is better qualified than the renter you approved.

Sign the lease or rental agreement

Review your property’s rules and regulations with your new tenant to make sure they understand them. Collect the security deposit and the first month’s rent either before signing the rental commitment or at the lease start date. Have tenants sign two copies of the lease and give them one copy for their records. To make it easier, consider using a digital lease.

Congratulations! You have your next tenant.

To simplify tenant applications, screening, rent payments and lease agreements, consider Zillow Rental Manager.