When you give your screening criteria to the applicant

Question

Do you phrase it in a generalized, or specific way?

i.e. would you write "we check your credit, eviction history, references and make a decision based on a combination of factors..."

or would you put  "your application will be denied if you provide false information, a credit score below [number], an eviction in the past five years, etc. etc."

Jon Holdman · Answer

When I'm talking to them I say "I'm not too concerned about your credit (if they had good credit, they wouldn't be renting), but I will look for evictions in the last five years, felonies in the last five years, more than to misdoemeaners in the last five years, and I will verify your income is 3X the rent (I give a specific figure).  I'll also call your current and past landlords."  If they want more detail, I have a written sheet of my criteria as wells as printouts from the state of Colorado giving examples of felonies or misdemeanors.  That's usually not an issue, though.  People know if this applies.  People with traffic tickets are the ones that get worried.  My application says incomplete information is grounds for denial.

Scott M. · Answer

I do not specifically list out what is grounds for denial but I am upfront with them as to what is important to me as Jon listed above.

I have also found that even if I don't say anything it is fine - meaning - if they say they are interested and I hand them an application - and they fill it out without me qualifying it it goes just as well if I do qualify it.

So what comes natural to you?  But I wouldn't say something just because you don't like silence :)

Also I have found some will ask either before they see a home or before they say they want an app - they want to see if they would qualify - I am very upfront about what I run and what is important to me.

Scott M. · Answer

When you pull credit your legally bound to send them a pre-formatted rejection letter - the site I use to pull creidt does that for me automatically - I just tell them I deny this person and push print on the letter and drop it in the mail.

I have never heard your legally bound to tell them your criteria upfront - but you are bound to say why you refused them if you pulled their credit (or had someone else pull it).

Michael Rossi · Answer

I give the key points of my screening to every applicant on the phone, before I agree to show then the rental.  I don't take anyone that has an eviction in the past 5 years; a felony or more than 2 misdemeanors in the past 3 years.  The vast majority of people I deny are denied for one of these 3 reasons.  I don't say so on the telephone, but I obviously check their income; check with their previous 2 landlords; etc.

I do not give them anything in writing.  Except for tenants in my best SFH's, I don't run credit checks because they all have bad credit.

Good Luck,

Mike

Aly W. · Answer

Hi Scott,

You can tell them that another qualified applicant submitted their application first.

Scott M. · Answer

Hey Jodi - what do you do if they meet all yoru criteria that you have listed out and you decide for whatever reason not to rent to them?  What do you tell them?

Jodi Steinfeld · Answer

I have in my apartment buildings what we call Residential Selection Criteria, which lists what we need minimum to consider a rental applicant.

Bienes Raices · Answer

I was told that I should give them some kind of written criteria in case they try to claim they were treated unfairly later.

Personally I'm more comfortable with giving them a very generalized written statement about my criteria at the time they apply, and then sending them a letter with the specific reasons why their application was rejected, if I decide to reject them. But I thought I would ask here to get feedback.

When you give your screening criteria to the applicant

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