Screening tenants before showing the property

Tenant Screening

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Screening tenants before showing the property

Paul Z.

Member since 2020 · 65 posts · 13 votes

Hi everyone :)

I posted an online ad and got some messages.

Should I screen the applicants before or after showing them the property?

If before, what questions would you ask? Would it be by speaking on the phone or messaging on the ad website?

Should I have them fill out a full application before showing the property?

Thanks so much!

Paul

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Gustavo Delgado

Houston, TX · Member since 2015 · 261 posts · 170 votes

definitely pre screen by letting them know upfront what the landlord requirements are (income, rental history,ect..) if you get that out before showing you may weed out people right of the bat and save your energy for more qualified prospects.

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Jo Bradley
Member since 2023 · 17 posts · 20 votes
1y
I always show the property first. I think in my area if I required prospective tenants to fill out an application first it would scare off some potentially good tenants who want to make sure you are a real landlord before disclosing all their personal info to you. Landlords here advertise a lot on local Facebook groups, but there are also a lot of scammers on those sites.
In my case, I require prospective tenants to attend a showing in person in order to pick up an application. I will not send them electronically. If they have taken the time to view the property and complete an application I know they are actually interested in that particular property. If their mom comes to view the property for them (lol, this actually happens), I interpret that that as a red flag.
On the property listing I describe the property and also disclose that a background check will be done by Transunion Smartmove and that according to the company, it will not affect their credit. As you probably know, Transunion is one of the 3 big credit reporting agencies in the U.S. so they know everything about everyone.
At the viewing, I explain that Transunion Smartmove will do a credit, criminal, and rental background check (they check the eviction database). I like using the program because I do not need to collect a tenant's social security number. I send their email and phone number to Transunion Smartmove and the company contacts them directly to collect the information they need. Incidentally, Transunion Smartmove also verifies whether the tenant's self reported income seems reasonable or should be verified, and it also does a social security number check (against death records, etc.)
By the way, I have no affiliation with Transunion and I think there are other companies out there that perform these services. I only mention it because it has been a very helpful tool for me in screening applicants.
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Gregory SchwartzBusiness Member
Rental Property Investor · College Station, TX · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Screening takes both time and money. If we fully screened every single inquiry upfront, we'd spend all day screening and never have time to actually show properties.

That said, I highly recommend pre-screening. This means asking potential tenants—multiple times—if they meet your minimum criteria, whether they have pets, and if their move-in timeline aligns with your availability.

By doing this, you can easily weed out 50% of inquiries and avoid wasting time showing a vacancy to someone who isn’t planning to move for another six months.
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
1y
Quote from @Paul Z.:

Screen after.
Nobody wants to spend time filling out an application or paying a fee before seeing if the rental is what they want.
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Andrew Self
Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2024 · 37 posts · 24 votes
1y
I screen after. I let them know our minimum requirements beforehand so if they don't meet those they don't waste our time or there's viewing the property. Then if they like the space, they can apply online and we can have the full screening done then. I use Baselane or Zillow to screen potential tenants. Baselane ranges from $25-50 for screening and is paid by the applicant, while Zillow is $35. Baselane can go more in depth than most places and can actually verify income rather than going off of the self provided income by the applicant that most places provide.
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Gustavo Delgado
Houston, TX · Member since 2015 · 261 posts · 170 votes
1y
definitely pre screen by letting them know upfront what the landlord requirements are (income, rental history,ect..) if you get that out before showing you may weed out people right of the bat and save your energy for more qualified prospects.
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Michael MagnoBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Wadsworth, OH · Member since 2017 · 234 posts · 168 votes
1y
Personally I send a questionnaire to perspective tenants that outline the requirements for my rental. Once they complete the pre-screening questionnaire, I schedule a bulk showing, think open house style, for all perspective tenants to check out the unit, and allow them to apply after that.
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Chris Chisholm
Investor · Regina, SK · Member since 2025 · 54 posts · 42 votes
1y
I pre-screen before I show a property. I have a short questionnaire (3-5 questions about income, pets, smoking status, how many people will be living there, etc.) in Google Forms that I send to anyone that inquires to fill out. It's made clear that is is just a pre-screening tool and not an application or guarantee they get the unit. The form is tailored in a way that it will guide the through each prequalifying step and if they don't qualify based on an answer it gives them a message that they don't qualify for this property and to check other listings for a more suitable property based on their needs. I don't want to waste my time with people that have no business looking at a property of mine that doesn't it their needs. If they pass the questionnaire they are asked to enter their contact information to be contacted to arrange a viewing. With Google forms it takes the content from the questionnaire and gives me an organized contact list of all pre-qualifying candidates so there's no sifting through 10 different listing sites DMs or email or text. As they leave the viewing they can take an application to fill out if they choose to.
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Curtis Mears
Property Manager · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 728 posts · 596 votes
1y
Would you apply to buy a car before seeing it?

Of course, we don't want to waste time with tenants who will not qualify. I have specific requirements spelled out in all my ads. Then, any potential tenant who contacts me to schedule viewing, I send an email or text again restating the requirements. This eliminates 90% of all issues, and it is easy to implement.
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- Chris Chisholm
  Investor · Regina, SK · Member since 2025 · 54 posts · 42 votes
  1y
  Quote from @Curtis Mears:
  
  Would you apply to buy a car before seeing it?
  
  Of course, we don't want to waste time with tenants who will not qualify. I have specific requirements spelled out in all my ads. Then, any potential tenant who contacts me to schedule viewing, I send an email or text again restating the requirements. This eliminates 90% of all issues, and it is easy to implement.
  Would a Lamborghini salesman waste his time taking a guy for a test drive if the guy looks like a homeless person on drugs? There's always a prescreen, doesn't have to be a long full application, but there's a prescreen. Just like many real estate agents won't work with a buyer unless they have been pre-qualified for a mortgage.
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Mackaylee BeachPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 492 votes
1y
I strongly suggest implementing a prescreening process. I’ve found that it can help streamline the overall procedure. By informing prospects of your requirements and outlining what will be needed if they choose to move forward with an application, you set clear expectations. This not only saves time for both parties but also enhances the experience for potential tenants. They will appreciate knowing upfront what is expected of them, and it reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings later in the application process. Additionally, this method helps in identifying serious candidates who are genuinely interested and meet the basic criteria, allowing you to focus your efforts on the most promising prospects.
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- Chris Chisholm
  Investor · Regina, SK · Member since 2025 · 54 posts · 42 votes
  1y
  Quote from @Mackaylee Beach:
  
  I strongly suggest implementing a prescreening process. I’ve found that it can help streamline the overall procedure. By informing prospects of your requirements and outlining what will be needed if they choose to move forward with an application, you set clear expectations. This not only saves time for both parties but also enhances the experience for potential tenants. They will appreciate knowing upfront what is expected of them, and it reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings later in the application process. Additionally, this method helps in identifying serious candidates who are genuinely interested and meet the basic criteria, allowing you to focus your efforts on the most promising prospects.
  
  For me it also sets the the standard that there are expectations and as a landlord I'm not just desperately taking anyone that's interested. Let's them know that the are a guest in my home they renting, not the other way around, even if it's just for a viewing. Those that don't want to put in the work of a short questionnaire at the start probably won't put in the work needed keep up their end of the lease agreement either.
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