I recently put a property on zillow and received quite a few applications. The problem I have been receiving is tenants that do not qualify or try to commit fraud to move in the property (fake pay stubs, lying about employment, etc.). I have them apply on zillow, but I heard there are better services to screen a tenant, that can conduct more accurate income and background checks if anyone can suggest a tried and tested service.
I currently have a tenant that is really trying to get into the property, but there some issues with their profile.
23 years old - Carpenter helper in the refinery and is starting to get alot of overtime.
Credit score 540 (100% on time payments, est. mo payments $480, Credit used 0% (I find this strange), total debt about 24k)
States their income is 8500/month, but only started working in Nov/Dec last year.
Has 6k in student loans and just bought a car for 18k
I've redacted important information, but here are 2 recent paystubs they sent:
The tenant stated that they helped their parent cosign on a electricity plan at a previous residence, and the parent had the account go to collections which dropped their score to 615, and then in February they went to Carvana and bought a car which dropped down to 540. They state they have a good per diem since they work on a ship for the refinery, have the first months rent and deposit, but the poor credit score and less than a year work history at this job is concerning...
I wanted to get other landlords that deal with this thoughts because this tenant is really pushing to try to move and sends in everything I requested (the pay stubs, they sent 6 references), but I heard I should VOE with their employer (not sure how to do this since it appears to be a big name company).
I recently put a property on zillow and received quite a few applications. The problem I have been receiving is tenants that do not qualify or try to commit fraud to move in the property (fake pay stubs, lying about employment, etc.). I have them apply on zillow, but I heard there are better services to screen a tenant, that can conduct more accurate income and background checks if anyone can suggest a tried and tested service.
I currently have a tenant that is really trying to get into the property, but there some issues with their profile.
23 years old - Carpenter helper in the refinery and is starting to get alot of overtime.
Credit score 540 (100% on time payments, est. mo payments $480, Credit used 0% (I find this strange), total debt about 24k)
States their income is 8500/month, but only started working in Nov/Dec last year.
Has 6k in student loans and just bought a car for 18k
I've redacted important information, but here are 2 recent paystubs they sent:
The tenant stated that they helped their parent cosign on a electricity plan at a previous residence, and the parent had the account go to collections which dropped their score to 615, and then in February they went to Carvana and bought a car which dropped down to 540. They state they have a good per diem since they work on a ship for the refinery, have the first months rent and deposit, but the poor credit score and less than a year work history at this job is concerning...
I wanted to get other landlords that deal with this thoughts because this tenant is really pushing to try to move and sends in everything I requested (the pay stubs, they sent 6 references), but I heard I should VOE with their employer (not sure how to do this since it appears to be a big name company).
Some decent responses so far, but all are inadequate😫
Observations & Recommendations:
1) Credit Score vs Credit Depth The mortgage industry learned the hard way, via the Great Recession, the fallacy of ONLY relying on credit scores😓 - The score is NOT accurate if there are not enough active tradelines! - So, we look at how many ACTIVE tradelines are on a credit report - We're looking for how many at least 12 months & 24 months of history - We ignore student loans and Chime, Connect, etc.
2) Residency History Verification You haven't mentioned if this applicant has a prior rental history or if they are living with relatives. - The background check we use gives us their last 7 years of reported addresses - Allows us to identify addresses/landlords they may be trying to hide!
3) Rental Payment History Applicants with lower scores NEED more focus on verifying this😮 - It's important to avoid fraudulent "landlords" via verifying who they are. - We check public records for legal owner of their previous rentals - In Michigan, we can even do a Business Entity to lookup on LLCs and often identify the property owner. - We verify their phone numbers via Google or Whitepages - We prefer rent ledgers, when possible, to ID late payment patterns - We also accept 12 months of bank statements showing rent payments
4) Income Validation It's way too easy to fraud paystubs these days😡. So, we also ask for a bank statement we can verify payroll deposits - since over 80% of employers now direct deposit. - On the paystub you submitted, you can see the direct deposit info, so get a copy of the corresponding bank statement. - There are some screening companies out there that get applicant approval to directly access their banking info via Plaid.
5) STABLE Income Calculation Tenants won't be able to make consistent rent payments, unless they have consistent income, which requires consistent employment🤑 - We require a 2-year work history - We somewhat validate this by also requiring last year's W-2(s) - We calculate income 4 ways to verify STABILITY: --- YTD monthly average (use YTD gross income and Pay THRU Date) --- Hourly rate monthly average --- Last year's monthly average (from W-2(s)) --- Monthly average of YTD and last year - We then compare and investigate if any vary by more than 10% (layoffs, illness, fraud, etc.) VERY FOOLISH TO 100% RECOGNIZE OVERTIME NOT AVERAGED OVER AT LEAST 12 MONTHS!!! - Seasonal and economy variances are very common
This Specific Applicant 1) How many active tradelines do they have and how long have they been active? - Going to guess that given their age, they have very few. So, the recent ChargeOff and auto purchase will have a huge impact on their FICO. Not really their fault.
2) Going to guess they also have been living at home. - Just verify this via correlating addresses on paystub, W-2, bank statement, driver's license and your background check (if it is supplied).
3) Would NOT recommend recognizing their overtime income. - Use only their hourly rate x 2080annual hours / 12 months to determine monthly income.
4) Debt-to-Income Ratio vs "Income = 3x Rent" - You are rightly concerned about the car payment! Too many landlords foolishly ASSume every tenant will prioritize paying their rent over their car😤 - Total (your rent + car payment) and divide by monthly income. You want this to be under 45% to approve. --- So many applicants default on student loans, and they are NOT pursued for collection, that we ignore these payments.
I use Transunion Smartmove for all of my Tenant screenings; this does a background/credit check and I utilize the option for the tenant to pay on their interface so you don't have to eat any of the cost of the application.
The best backgrounding you can do on a tenant besides a tour is calling past landlords/employers. Hearing what they have to say because they will remember if this person is a pain or someone who made there life easier.
Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 541 posts · 312 votes
5mo
You’re asking the right questions — this is exactly where screening needs to go beyond just what’s submitted on paper.
On services, Zillow is fine for basic screening, but it’s not built for deeper verification. A lot of operators layer in additional checks (income verification tools, direct VOE, and manual review of docs) rather than relying on a single platform.
On this applicant specifically — there are a few things that would make me slow down:
• Income jump vs. short job history (Nov/Dec start → $8.5k/month is a big ramp)
• Credit profile doesn’t fully align (low score + 100% payment history + 0% utilization is unusual)
• Recent car purchase + existing debt adds pressure to actual affordability
The pushiness and responsiveness are good signs, but they don’t offset risk if the fundamentals aren’t fully verified.
If I were looking at this, I’d focus on verification before decision:
• VOE through the company’s HR or main line (not a number provided by the applicant)
• Cross-check paystubs against bank deposits
• Confirm whether overtime/per diem is consistent or variable
Even then, with less than a year on the job and that credit profile, this would fall outside standard criteria for most setups unless there’s additional security (co-signer, higher deposit, etc.).
Screening is really about consistency — once you start making exceptions, that’s usually where problems creep in later.
Ask them for the phone number of their employer to verify their income. Then call their previous landlords and see how that experience was. Quick note: You should try to verify who the landlord of the property is first and make sure it matches who they list. They can very easily list a friend as their landlord.
Property Manager · Houston, TX · Member since 2026 · 23 posts · 21 votes
4mo
One thing I’ve learned in property management is that fraud usually isn’t caught by one giant red flag. It’s inconsistencies and pressure tactics that start stacking up.
And yes, I would absolutely do a VOE directly with the employer, especially with refinery/overtime claims since OT can dramatically change affordability. Most larger companies have HR or employment verification departments you can contact. I’d also compare: • bank statements • paystub formatting consistency • YTD income vs stated income • taxes/W2s if available
For screening platforms, Zillow is convenient, but it’s pretty basic compared to what a lot of PM companies use. A strong screening process usually combines: • credit/background • eviction history • income verification • employment verification • fraud detection • rental history verification
The biggest mistake I see self-managing owners make is getting emotionally convinced because the applicant is responsive, nice, or “trying hard.”
Realtor · Houston, TX · Member since 2019 · 351 posts · 174 votes
4mo
Hi D,
Sounds like you're asking the right questions. As it was mentioned above make sure you check with the current employer and previous employer, and current and previous landlord to check their rental history and payment history.
If everything checks out there, you may also want to ask for bank statements to verify that the checks are matching the bank account and to get a better sense on how much they are making/ spending a month.
If everything checks out, I would still ask for a double deposit because of the lower credit score.
I recently put a property on zillow and received quite a few applications. The problem I have been receiving is tenants that do not qualify or try to commit fraud to move in the property (fake pay stubs, lying about employment, etc.). I have them apply on zillow, but I heard there are better services to screen a tenant, that can conduct more accurate income and background checks if anyone can suggest a tried and tested service.
I currently have a tenant that is really trying to get into the property, but there some issues with their profile.
23 years old - Carpenter helper in the refinery and is starting to get alot of overtime.
Credit score 540 (100% on time payments, est. mo payments $480, Credit used 0% (I find this strange), total debt about 24k)
States their income is 8500/month, but only started working in Nov/Dec last year.
Has 6k in student loans and just bought a car for 18k
I've redacted important information, but here are 2 recent paystubs they sent:
The tenant stated that they helped their parent cosign on a electricity plan at a previous residence, and the parent had the account go to collections which dropped their score to 615, and then in February they went to Carvana and bought a car which dropped down to 540. They state they have a good per diem since they work on a ship for the refinery, have the first months rent and deposit, but the poor credit score and less than a year work history at this job is concerning...
I wanted to get other landlords that deal with this thoughts because this tenant is really pushing to try to move and sends in everything I requested (the pay stubs, they sent 6 references), but I heard I should VOE with their employer (not sure how to do this since it appears to be a big name company).
Some decent responses so far, but all are inadequate😫
Observations & Recommendations:
1) Credit Score vs Credit Depth The mortgage industry learned the hard way, via the Great Recession, the fallacy of ONLY relying on credit scores😓 - The score is NOT accurate if there are not enough active tradelines! - So, we look at how many ACTIVE tradelines are on a credit report - We're looking for how many at least 12 months & 24 months of history - We ignore student loans and Chime, Connect, etc.
2) Residency History Verification You haven't mentioned if this applicant has a prior rental history or if they are living with relatives. - The background check we use gives us their last 7 years of reported addresses - Allows us to identify addresses/landlords they may be trying to hide!
3) Rental Payment History Applicants with lower scores NEED more focus on verifying this😮 - It's important to avoid fraudulent "landlords" via verifying who they are. - We check public records for legal owner of their previous rentals - In Michigan, we can even do a Business Entity to lookup on LLCs and often identify the property owner. - We verify their phone numbers via Google or Whitepages - We prefer rent ledgers, when possible, to ID late payment patterns - We also accept 12 months of bank statements showing rent payments
4) Income Validation It's way too easy to fraud paystubs these days😡. So, we also ask for a bank statement we can verify payroll deposits - since over 80% of employers now direct deposit. - On the paystub you submitted, you can see the direct deposit info, so get a copy of the corresponding bank statement. - There are some screening companies out there that get applicant approval to directly access their banking info via Plaid.
5) STABLE Income Calculation Tenants won't be able to make consistent rent payments, unless they have consistent income, which requires consistent employment🤑 - We require a 2-year work history - We somewhat validate this by also requiring last year's W-2(s) - We calculate income 4 ways to verify STABILITY: --- YTD monthly average (use YTD gross income and Pay THRU Date) --- Hourly rate monthly average --- Last year's monthly average (from W-2(s)) --- Monthly average of YTD and last year - We then compare and investigate if any vary by more than 10% (layoffs, illness, fraud, etc.) VERY FOOLISH TO 100% RECOGNIZE OVERTIME NOT AVERAGED OVER AT LEAST 12 MONTHS!!! - Seasonal and economy variances are very common
This Specific Applicant 1) How many active tradelines do they have and how long have they been active? - Going to guess that given their age, they have very few. So, the recent ChargeOff and auto purchase will have a huge impact on their FICO. Not really their fault.
2) Going to guess they also have been living at home. - Just verify this via correlating addresses on paystub, W-2, bank statement, driver's license and your background check (if it is supplied).
3) Would NOT recommend recognizing their overtime income. - Use only their hourly rate x 2080annual hours / 12 months to determine monthly income.
4) Debt-to-Income Ratio vs "Income = 3x Rent" - You are rightly concerned about the car payment! Too many landlords foolishly ASSume every tenant will prioritize paying their rent over their car😤 - Total (your rent + car payment) and divide by monthly income. You want this to be under 45% to approve. --- So many applicants default on student loans, and they are NOT pursued for collection, that we ignore these payments.
Lancaster, NY · Member since 2021 · 88 posts · 52 votes
1mo
Great question. Zillow's built-in screening has its limits and there are dedicated tenant screening companies that go much deeper. When shopping for one, make sure they're pulling from multiple databases, not just a single automated source. A solid report should include a full credit report, nationwide criminal and eviction searches, and a Judgments and Liens search. That last one trips a lot of landlords up. Judgments and liens were removed from standard credit reports in 2017, so if your screening company isn't specifically pulling for them, you're missing it completely.
On income and employment, stop calling HR departments and eyeballing paystubs. Top tier screening companies now connect directly to payroll processors and financial institutions to pull verified data at the source. It eliminates the fake paystub problem entirely and cuts out the runaround from employers who won't confirm anything over the phone. A phone call should be a last resort, not the standard.
The technology is out there, if the applicant is using it, so should you. Level the playing field and protect your investment. Hope this helps.
Rental Property Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2021 · 52 posts · 74 votes
1mo
Hey D! I personally use RentRedi for all of my applications, background checks, and tenant screening and have had a great experience with it. I like having everything run through one platform rather than relying solely on documents an applicant sends me.
Regardless of the screening service, I’d also independently verify employment/income directly with the employer rather than relying on the pay stubs provided, especially if anything feels inconsistent. I’d stick to the same written screening criteria you use for every applicant rather than making an exception because someone is eager to move in.
But for the actual application/background check process, RentRedi has worked really well for me.
All that to say, what's never steered me wrong is trusting my gut. You know when something feels "off," so honor and trust that!
Lancaster, NY · Member since 2021 · 88 posts · 52 votes
1mo
One more thing worth noting. Bigger Pockets has a trusted screening partner they work with directly. Check under Tools in the navigation bar and click Tenant Screening to see who they recommend.
Rental Property Investor · Colorado Spring, CO · Member since 2026 · 4 posts · 2 votes
1mo
Hey D White- I think you're asking all the right questions here. Screening can feel a little overwhelming at first because rarely does one number tell the whole story.
If you already have a minimum credit score established for your property, I'd stick with it and apply it consistently. If you don't, this is actually a good reminder to think through whether a minimum score belongs in your criteria at all — and what you really want that number to tell you.
After 20+ years of reading credit reports, I've also learned not to let the score do all the talking. Take a few minutes and understand why it's 540. Sometimes the story behind the score tells you much more than the number itself.
I'd do the same with the $8,500 income. With only 8–9 months on the job, I'd want to know how much is dependable base income versus overtime/per diem. There's a reason mortgage lending generally wants a longer history before relying heavily on variable income — it takes time to know what's truly consistent.
Then look at affordability, employment and income stability, and past residence history together. Verify what you can directly rather than relying only on what's been provided.
You're not looking for a perfect applicant. You're simply trying to understand the whole picture well enough to make a good, consistent decision.
