Prequalify possible applicants for my rental RentRedi
Member since 2022 · 56 posts · 31 votes
So I have recently listed my rental unit on various sites. I have been using RentRedi as a way to do all the screening and applications. I have been getting a lot of interest and inquiries pretty quickly into my rental. I have been referring the people to the prequalification form that RentRedi uses prior to setting up a viewing. I have not gotten anyone to complete the prequalification form even with all the people that have asked about its availability. My question is, for those that are familiar with Rent Redi, are the instructions to confusing for most people to follow and fill out the prequalification form and I should simplify the process, or should I consider the instructions of the prequalification form a way to weed people out and if someone isn't willing to follow through with those steps I should consider that in the type of tenant they well be? Appreciate any insight!
Hi Nicholas,
Just a thought from the possible tenant's perspective, but filling out a prequalification form and/or providing personal information before they have even seen a place and know if they will be interested in living in the property might be a bit too much to ask.
It may be worth letting them know about the prequalification requirements (credit score over xxx, salary above xx,ooo/year, etc.) in advance to weed people out. Once they have seen the property and are interested, the prequalification and background checks will do the rest of the work in weeding out undesirable tenants for you.
If you are having a lot of interest and you are trying to avoid multiple showings that take up too much of your time. You could also consider an open house showing. 2-3 hours on a weekend may allow a number of the people who have called and are interested in the property, to come in and all have a look as their time allows. This may also create some competition for the space and urgency to get the documents back to you. You can also better explain the application process to them in person during their visits.
Hi Nicholas,
Just a thought from the possible tenant's perspective, but filling out a prequalification form and/or providing personal information before they have even seen a place and know if they will be interested in living in the property might be a bit too much to ask.
It may be worth letting them know about the prequalification requirements (credit score over xxx, salary above xx,ooo/year, etc.) in advance to weed people out. Once they have seen the property and are interested, the prequalification and background checks will do the rest of the work in weeding out undesirable tenants for you.
If you are having a lot of interest and you are trying to avoid multiple showings that take up too much of your time. You could also consider an open house showing. 2-3 hours on a weekend may allow a number of the people who have called and are interested in the property, to come in and all have a look as their time allows. This may also create some competition for the space and urgency to get the documents back to you. You can also better explain the application process to them in person during their visits.
Hi Nicholas,
Just a thought from the possible tenant's perspective, but filling out a prequalification form and/or providing personal information before they have even seen a place and know if they will be interested in living in the property might be a bit too much to ask.
It may be worth letting them know about the prequalification requirements (credit score over xxx, salary above xx,ooo/year, etc.) in advance to weed people out. Once they have seen the property and are interested, the prequalification and background checks will do the rest of the work in weeding out undesirable tenants for you.
If you are having a lot of interest and you are trying to avoid multiple showings that take up too much of your time. You could also consider an open house showing. 2-3 hours on a weekend may allow a number of the people who have called and are interested in the property, to come in and all have a look as their time allows. This may also create some competition for the space and urgency to get the documents back to you. You can also better explain the application process to them in person during their visits.
Thank you for the input. It as definitely a way to limit showing and determine if people meet those minimum requirements prior to a show. Things I will consider, thank you!
Thank you for posting this. I am having the exact same issue right now. We will have to try an open house.
Thank you for posting this. I am having the exact same issue right now. We will have to try an open house.
I am as well. Did you have luck with an open house? Part of me is wondering if it is the time of year, and also, if this is just a way to weed out the more serious tenants. I don't believe my prequalification questions are too intrusive. I do feel like anyone serious enough will just take the two minutes to answer the seven questions, which basically just establish if they meet the minimum requirements (3x the income, Credit Score, No Pets/Smoking, etc). I'd be interested to know if you had success with the open house.
@Jennifer Marcucci Haven't had a chance to do one yet as this is my second job and I've been out of the country for work on the primary job. I recently condensed the pre-qual questions into one screen and only like 15 fields/questions total (more reading but less clicks). I also updated our initial contact letter to explain that it's in their best interest for us to do the pre-qualification so inquiries don't waste time or money driving out to the property and/or completing an application when they won't qualify anyway. I think part of it was time of year bc I am seeing overall more inquiries and after the form revamp, slightly more completions. Actually, yesterday we had a somewhat promising section 8 inquiry want to apply. So, now we are barreling down that process as we had not originally thought we'd be going that route and I am trying to figure out how/what sources I'm allowed to use to verify their income.
Prequalification forms can be a great filter, but if no one is filling it out, it might be too complicated or turning people off before they even apply. I would check if you can customize the form beyond its default questions.
That said, prequalification alone isn’t enough—it doesn’t replace a full tenant screening. Some services miss key red flags like evictions, judgments, liens, and identity verification. A solid screening process should include:
✅ ID Verification – Confirms applicants are who they say they are.
✅ Judgments & Liens Search – These no longer show on credit reports, so a separate check helps uncover unpaid debts.
✅ Eviction & Rental History – Past evictions are a huge red flag for payment issues.
✅ Criminal Background Check – A nationwide search can help catch risks.
✅ Verified Income Data – Checking actual bank deposits prevents relying on fake pay stubs.
If you’re not getting any prequalification forms back, it might be time to simplify the process or use a better screening tool. A bad tenant can be expensive—it’s worth making sure you get the full picture upfront!