Screening College Kids

Cincinnati, Ohio
Tenant Screening
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Screening College Kids

Chrissy Booker
Member since 2024 · 3 posts · 1 vote

Hi! We just have a campus rental (UC) that we are going to try rent for the 1st time. How do I successfully screen a college kid or do I require them to have a parent cosign and screen them? 
Also,  any software/apps recommendations to manage this would be a appreciated. We plan to self manage from 2 hours away and have no real experience. 
TIA!

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  • Bryce JamisonPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Mebane, NC · Member since 2015 · 493 posts · 439 votes
    4mo

    I've never rented to kids specifically in college, but I've rented to many young 20 year olds. Honestly, they've been the best tenants I've had. Granted, all of the young people I rented to were taking their first steps into adulthood, so I felt like they were trying extra hard to be responsible. If they were true college students, I'd DEFINTLY make their parents co-sign!

    I use Zillow to find long term tenants. Tenants can pay a one time fee for a background and credit check that they can use to apply to homes instead of paying a fee for each one. I make sure to see pay stubs, and sometimes bank statements, to confirm funds. I also call all references and former landlords. If everything looks good in paper, I'll tour the property with them. Meeting in person is a good way to pickup on any potential deceit in their application and notice and red flags.

    If it's just one unit, you can use Excel to track income and expenses. You can also have them setup an ACH deposit to pay rent.

    With no experience, how did you end up with a college house 2 hours away? Do you want to be a long distance landlord? You could always sell it and put the money elsewhere.

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    • Chrissy Booker
      OP
      Member since 2024 · 3 posts · 1 vote
      3mo

      @Bryce Jamison  it was a house we bought while our child was in college and his friends paid is rent. Now he is gone and we still think it has some income potential bit we have always known the kids we were working with. 
      we are going to try to use the turbo tenant app. And have parents cosign. 

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  • Jim Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 538 posts · 311 votes
    4mo

    For college rentals, I’d probably focus less on the student’s income alone and more on the overall structure of the application.

    A lot of landlords handling student housing require:
    • Parent co-signers/guarantors
    • Screening both the student and parent
    • Proof of enrollment
    • Clear joint lease responsibility if renting to multiple students

    Honestly, the co-signer usually matters more than the student’s credit profile in these situations.

    Since you’ll be self-managing from a distance, I’d also try to make your systems very organized upfront. Things like RentRedi, Avail, or TurboTenant can help with applications, screening, leases, rent collection, and maintenance tracking without needing a full PM.

    The biggest thing with campus rentals is setting expectations clearly at move-in. Student rentals usually run smoother when communication, maintenance rules, guest policies, and cleanliness expectations are extremely explicit from day one.

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  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    4mo
    Quote from @Chrissy Booker:

    Hi! We just have a campus rental (UC) that we are going to try rent for the 1st time. How do I successfully screen a college kid or do I require them to have a parent cosign and screen them? 
    Also,  any software/apps recommendations to manage this would be a appreciated. We plan to self manage from 2 hours away and have no real experience. 
    TIA!


    Parents most often co-sign.

    Just make sure parents are also responsible for damages. 

    [email protected]248-209-6824
    Logical Property Management4.9450 Reviews
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  • Mohammed Rahman
    Real Estate Broker · New York, NY · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4mo

    Requiring a qualified co-signer is pretty standard in this type of setup. In practice, the student becomes the occupant, but the parent is really the financial backstop.

    On screening, I’d focus less on the student’s income and more on the guarantor’s strength. You want to verify stable income, strong credit, and ideally low debt relative to income. I’d also make sure the lease clearly states joint responsibility so you’re not chasing one party when issues come up.

    Since you’re self-managing from a couple hours away, the systems matter just as much as the screening. You’ll want something for online rent collection, maintenance request tracking, and lease/document storage so everything is centralized and not scattered across texts and emails. Even simple property management platforms can make a big difference here compared to trying to run it manually.

    One thing I’ve seen work well in student rentals is setting expectations very clearly upfront, especially around noise, guests, and maintenance response times. The clearer the structure, the fewer headaches later.

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  • Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4mo
    Quote from @Chrissy Booker:

    Hi! We just have a campus rental (UC) that we are going to try rent for the 1st time. How do I successfully screen a college kid or do I require them to have a parent cosign and screen them? 
    Also,  any software/apps recommendations to manage this would be a appreciated. We plan to self manage from 2 hours away and have no real experience. 
    TIA!

    Hey Chrissy, welcome to BP! For college rentals, requiring a parent cosigner is super common and honestly probably the safest route, especially if the students don’t have established income or credit yet. A lot of landlords will screen both the student and the parent/guarantor, then have the parent legally responsible on the lease. I’d also recommend verifying enrollment, checking references if possible, and being really clear upfront about expectations around rent payments, cleanliness, guests, damages, etc. since student rentals can get messy fast without clear communication. Since you’re self managing from a couple hours away, having good systems in place will make a huge difference. A lot of smaller landlords like using software like Avail, TurboTenant, or Apartments.com for applications, leases, rent collection, and maintenance tracking because they’re pretty beginner friendly. I’d also strongly recommend building a small local vendor list now before emergencies happen — plumber, handyman, cleaner, locksmith, etc. Self managing remotely is definitely doable, but having reliable people nearby will save you a lot of stress later.



    [email protected]614-300-7535
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  • Peter Smith
    Rental Property Investor · Reading, PA · Member since 2019 · 13 posts · 2 votes
    4mo

    Hi Chrissy, 

    Screening students isn't worthwhile because very few of them have a strong financial history. I agree with the other commentors to require parental guarantees. However, depending on the strength and velocity of the Cinci market, it may not be practical to require full screening checks for parents. It sounds great on this forum, but to convince parents to sign on for that often leads to substantial friction. A great example is when you have divorced parents, it can be a fight to decide who is agreeing to this. Secondly, parents with no strong familiar support will arise....check out https://www.theguarantors.com/. I am not saying don't try these methods, but I can assure you if will be harder to get 4-5 sets of parents to play ball, in addition, to getting the students to sign on. If your process is too arduous prospective renters may prefer another "easier" rental option. 


    Having a joint and several clause in the lease is a good tool. Again, it can lead to some push back, but it allows for a bit of a peer pressure tool to apply to those renters not paying. It also will not slow down the leasing process like background checks. 

    0Reply
  • Chrissy Booker
    OP
    Member since 2024 · 3 posts · 1 vote
    3mo
    Great advice! Thanks!
    0Reply
  • Will GastonPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Columbia, SC · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3mo
    Quote from @Chrissy Booker:

    Hi! We just have a campus rental (UC) that we are going to try rent for the 1st time. How do I successfully screen a college kid or do I require them to have a parent cosign and screen them? 
    Also,  any software/apps recommendations to manage this would be a appreciated. We plan to self manage from 2 hours away and have no real experience. 
    TIA!


     This thread on student housing / college rentals may be helpful: 

    Nearing 1,000 College Tenants - Here's What I've Learned

    0Reply
  • John McNeil
    Abington, MA · Member since 2023 · 14 posts · 9 votes
    3mo

    My college landlord required parent guarantors. I'd also do that if I were renting to college kids currently . Not sure if you're using a platform but I use TurboTenant for my property to screen 

    0Reply
  • Dawn Alsept
    Real Estate Agent · Dayton, OH · Member since 2026 · 5 posts · 1 vote
    1mo

    Hi Chrissy, I am interested in the UC student housing market, would you care to chat sometime? I'm on the Dayton area.

    0Reply
  • Victor PatelBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2022 · 133 posts · 86 votes
    1mo

    For a first-time campus rental, I’d keep the screening process consistent and objective rather than trying to judge whether a particular college student “seems responsible.”

    If the student doesn’t have sufficient income/credit history to qualify on their own, I’d require a guarantor/co-signer and screen the guarantor just as thoroughly. Put clear qualification criteria in writing ahead of time—income, credit, rental history, guarantor requirements, etc.—and apply the same criteria to every applicant.

    Since you’re self-managing from two hours away, I’d also prioritize systems that reduce the number of things you have to do manually. At minimum, I’d want software that handles:

    • Online applications and tenant screening
    • E-signatures and lease management
    • Online rent collection
    • Maintenance requests/work orders
    • Automated tenant communications
    • Accounting and owner reporting

    The bigger issue I'd plan for is maintenance and emergencies, not just screening. Have a reliable local handyman/plumber/HVAC contact before you need one. Being two hours away makes a good local vendor network extremely valuable.

    And because it’s a UC-area student rental, I'd make sure you understand any local rules and the university-area rental dynamics before signing your first lease. A good screening process + solid lease + reliable local vendors will save you a lot of headaches.

    [email protected]513-764-4775
    0Reply
  • Brendon OConnor
    Rental Property Investor · Colorado Spring, CO · Member since 2026 · 4 posts · 2 votes
    1mo

    Hey Chrissy, 

    Student housing isn’t my niche, but I’d learn UC’s leasing cycle before setting the lease term. Campus rentals often lease months in advance, and missing that window can create a long vacancy. 

    I’d also use a detailed, photo-documented move-in inspection acknowledged by every tenant, especially with multiple occupants.

     Regarding software apps, those previously mentioned are all great. Personally, I use Zillow for both my screening and rent collection needs. 

    Wishing you continued success!

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