Can "having a job" be part of your tenant screening criteria?

[Kimberly T.]

Hear me out.

Let's say part of your screening criteria is a minimum of 3x rent as income. In CA and some (all?) other states, you cannot discriminate based on source of income. That means if the prospective tenant receives unemployment, Social Security, etc., you have to count that as income, just like income from a job.

So, separate from the 3x rent as income issue, can you also have a requirement that the prospective tenant must be employed or work in some way (self-employed, etc.)? Would this be viewed as discriminating against those receiving unemployment, SS, etc.?

This is more of a curiosity for me. We accepted tenants last year where the wife worked but husband got unemployment, for a sum total of over 3x rent, and they've been great tenants.