Would you use AI to screen tenants instantly?

Question

Hey landlords 👋

I’m working on a tool that lets you screen tenants using AI — no more chasing paystubs or reviewing every app manually. You set the rules, and it returns an instant pass/fail result.

I’m testing if this is something landlords would actually use — not trying to sell anything yet.

Would a tool like this be helpful in your rental process?
Why or why not?

Thanks in advance — any honest feedback is appreciated 🙏

Greg M. · Answer

Nope. I find most of this "AI" tech to be nothing but garbage. It regurgitates what others have said. They are easy to manipulate and can't tell facts from opinion.

Is your program going to be able to tell a fake paystub? Call a prior landlord? See a pattern in the credit reports?

At this point, I'll pass.

Tim Delaney · Answer

If it was good I'd use it for an initial scan, but wouldn't rely on it solely. With all the free tools out there you'd have to also be willing to practically give it away to get traction.

I'd also be wary of states starting to regulate this - there are already some lawsuits against rental pricing software.

Mackaylee Beach · Answer

It could serve as a "pre-screening" tool, but I wouldn't rely on it entirely. Tenant screening is crucial. Ensuring you have a comprehensive understanding of a potential tenant's background, financial stability, and rental history is vital for making informed decisions.

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

No way. Call me old-fashioned (I am) but I want a human eyes and brain on something as important as this......

Drew Sygit · Answer

We actually consulted for a company in Chicago that developed an "automated" application screening product, which is now on the market.

Very confused about your post as you are asking a baseless question - due to the fact you are providing zero information about how your tool will work.

"No more chasing paystubs" can only mean you're going to try to connect to applicant bank accounts (via Plaid?) to deduce income.

There are already multiple automated review tools available - how will yours be different?

Carlos Hennings · Answer

The challenge with using AI for tenant screening is that the results often aren’t as accurate as you'd expect. That’s because there are strict reporting laws that limit what screening companies can legally include. If certain details are missing from a record—due to how it was filed or how it’s accessed—the report might come back clean, even if something exists.

Screening providers aren’t liable in these cases because they’re bound by federal law. For the most accurate results, you need a provider that can tap into multiple data sources and, when needed, manually call the court to verify and capture missing info—something AI simply can’t do right now. It sounds fast and efficient, but once you understand the regulations in this industry, the limitations of AI screening become clear.

Bill Le · Answer

As a property manager, we like to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to tenant screening. There are definitely some exciting tools in development, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the quality of the information you’re working with.

An AI-based screening tool is only as good as the data it has access to. If it’s missing key details, it won’t be as effective as another platform that digs deeper—even if it doesn’t use AI. For instance, I personally find Zillow applications pretty lacking because they don’t pull the kind of comprehensive info we need to make informed decisions.

It’s also important to remember that tenant screening isn’t always black and white. There’s a lot of nuance involved, especially if you're working with LIHTC or Section 8 housing, where you really need to understand how to navigate the grey areas.

Jonathan Klemm · Answer

For sure, at some point, but it would need to be audited, just like any AI currently needs to be, because this isprobably the most important task of any landlord - How would it spot scams and other crazy stuff tenants try to pull?

I've seen fake id's, false names, etc. here in Chicago.

@Jacob Cannon

Alexey Sednev · Answer

Simple pass/fail seems attractive, but in reality it's not that useful. AI tool will only be valuable if it can clearly lay out the decision making process, factors it considered, factors it disqualified, etc.

Renting a property is too big of a decision to boil down to a simple pass/fail from a miraculous AI. Why should anyone trust its judgement call?

Bill B. · Answer

There seems like an easy test for how effective it is…

I’ll use the same one I use for self driving cars.

As soon as I don’t need insurance because the car is responsible for all “at-fault” accidents I’ll believe it’s great.

As soon as you guarantee all rent for all leases approved by your software I’ll believe it’s effective. Until then, the most popular YouTubes videos will be the SEO equivalent of get approved by AI ones.

Would you use AI to screen tenants instantly?

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