I'm looking for some advice on screening and than choosing a Tenant.

I have a duplex that I am house hacking. I posted my rental online with 2 open house dates on Saturday and Tuesday. should I take all applications from those 2 days run background checks and pick the best Tenant. Or should I do them 1 by 1 in the order wich they are recieved and choose the first individual that meets my qualification standards?

I remember reading in a book that you should do them one by one and choose the first fully qualified individual to avoid potention legal issues.

@Richard Arden what are your qualification standards? Do they mention anything about applications will be considered in the order recieved or you will go with the most qualified applicant? You should have clear standards that you give to each applicant on what you are looking for and how you process applications

You screen the most willing tenants that want the place. Often viewers do not even want to offer credit rpt you can scratch them off the list. If serious some landlord will share cost of rental credit reports (for housing not for credit) or some will provide one. I believe the book is correct.

If they say they meet my minimum qualifications (3x rent, no evictions, no violent felons, min credit score, etc) then I tell them to submit an application online and pay for the background check (I use Cozy).  The first one that passes gets it.

We never show to prospective tenants who have not met our criteria. No open houses nothing. By the time we show the apartment the only remaining things are credit and background check. Apps have been filled out, employment and income verified, past LL checks, FB page viewed. Our process is designed to eliminate, not include, otherwise we get too many applicants and everybody says they want to see it. So we make them work for it. All the best!

@Bjorn Ahlblad

So prospective tenants are willing to fill out an application before even viewing the property? Sounds like a good gig if you can get it.

Originally posted by @Karen Bickford :

@Bjorn Ahlblad

So prospective tenants are willing to fill out an application before even viewing the property? Sounds like a good gig if you can get it.

 Actually Karen, we have had no problem getting prospective tenants to fill out the app etc. My wife is the PM and this process saves her a lot of time weeding out the candidates who don't qualify or aren't really committed and just want to kick tires. 

The other thing we don't do is 'chase'. If they do not call back we do not call them; there just isn't any point.

That’s awesome! I am going to try that for the next vacancy. It is a huge time suck showing to people that are not qualified or are tire kickers.