Screen for the tenancy, not the vibe.
The best tenant isn’t the one you liked most at the showing. It’s the one whose record says they’ll pay on time and stay. A consistent checklist beats a gut feeling every time — and keeps you on the right side of the law.
What predicts payment
The checks worth running
Call the previous landlord, not the current one — the current landlord may be motivated to pass a problem tenant along. Verify income against a document, not a number on the application. Small habits, big difference in who ends up in your unit.
- Income roughly 3× the rent, verified — not just claimed
- A reference from a prior landlord, not the current one
- Consistent employment and a clean eviction history
Stay legal
Same standard, every applicant
Fair-housing law is simplest to follow when your criteria are written down and applied the same way to everyone. Decide the bar before you meet anyone, judge every applicant against it, and keep the record.
Check your local law. The federal Fair Housing Act plus state and city rules govern what you may ask and consider. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
- Write your criteria down before you list
- Apply them identically to everyone who applies
- Never screen on a protected class
Start the tenancy on solid ground.
Once a good tenant is in, keep the rest just as tidy — rent, expenses, and documents in one clean book.