Should I use Zillow application in Buffalo ny

Question

Hi!

I’m a property owner in Buffalo, NY, and I’m getting ready to list a property for rent. I’d appreciate advice from other local landlords/property owners about the safest and easiest way to handle tenant applications and background/credit checks while following New York State rules.

Do you recommend Zillow Rental Manager applications, or is there another platform you’ve had a better experience with?

I’m particularly interested in:

• Secure online applications
• Credit and background checks
• Income/employment verification
• Protecting applicants’ sensitive information
• Staying compliant with NY rules, including application/screening fees

What platform or process do you use and recommend?

Thank you!

Michael Eskenasy · Answer

I’d think about this less as “which application platform is best?” and more as “what screening process do I want every applicant to go through?”

Zillow, RentSpree, TransUnion, etc. are really just pieces of that process.

I like having the applicant enter the sensitive information directly into a third-party system. There is very little upside to a small landlord collecting Social Security numbers, credit reports, bank statements and other personal information if you don’t absolutely need to possess it.

But I also wouldn’t let the screening report make the decision for me.

Credit tells you something. Background information tells you something. Neither tells you whether the income document is real, whether the employer actually exists, whether the prior landlord is really the prior landlord, or whether the applicant consistently paid rent.

That part still needs verification.

I’d decide your standards before the first application arrives. Minimum income requirement, what documentation you’ll accept, how you evaluate credit history, rental history, occupancy, pets, smoking, whatever applies to the property. Then use the same process for everybody.

That last part matters more than people realize. The dangerous situation is when applicant #1 gets one standard, applicant #2 gets another because you liked them, and applicant #3 gets extra scrutiny because something “felt off.” A written process protects you from your own improvisation as much as anything else.

I also like the idea Timothy mentioned of separating prescreening from the actual application.

There’s no reason to make twenty people pay for screening when fifteen of them could have told you in two minutes that the move-in date, income, occupancy, pet situation, or some other basic requirement doesn’t fit.

So mine would probably look something like this in practice:

Basic prescreen first.

Showing second.

Full third-party application only for people who actually want the unit.

Then independently verify income, employment and rental history before making the decision.

And because you’re in New York, I would verify the current state and Buffalo requirements around application fees and permissible screening criteria before publishing the process. I wouldn’t assume any software platform makes you compliant just because it offers the feature.

The software should handle the sensitive data.

You should still handle the judgment.

Jim Johnson · Answer

Zillow can be a reasonable option for a smaller landlord because it keeps the application, credit/background information, and a lot of the sensitive applicant data out of your hands. I generally prefer having applicants provide that information through a reputable third-party platform rather than emailing documents or SSNs directly to me. I’d still do my own income/employment and rental-history verification rather than treating the screening report as the entire decision.

Being in New York would be the bigger consideration for me here. The state has specific rules around screening/application fees and what can be considered during tenant screening, so I’d make sure the process you set up complies with NY requirements regardless of which platform you choose. I wouldn’t assume Zillow, or any other platform, automatically makes the landlord compliant just because the software allows you to select an option.

Dan Ikon · Answer

I would use a third party. I rent properties in New York. I use TransUnion for a credit and background check. It's pretty straightforward - you set up a tenant(just an email) and send the tenant a link; then they enter private information themselves, and you get a report. The fee is $25 per application I believe, which is very reasonable. Never had any issues with NY law compliance.

Jeff Storey · Answer

A fellow investor told me uses Zillow for applications because it also saves effort/money for people looking to rent. Zillow is readily available to everyone and if you have an application, it isn't limited to one landlord.

I was looking forward to trying it myself but if it doesn't cover enough background I guess I need to reconsider. Does it at least do a credit check and find any previous evictions?

Timothy Smith · Answer

I personally use RentSpree, but I also have access to it as an agent. Not sure what their subscription model is for folks without MLS access. I used RentPrep.com for years, until they sold to Stessa (which I also use) but the platform is now incredibly clumsy and there is no option for the applicant to pay. At least with RentSpree, the applicant can pay $20 directly and I don't have to act as middleman. Zillow charges a fee, of course, but then the applicant can use that same application over and over -- I believe for 30 days but don't quote me. I have applicants send me their proof of income directly, and I still call references (landlords, supervisors, etc) personally to verify. A lot of people shy away from having an actual conversation with a person, but this is where you learn a lot.

I also don't think Zillow applications are thorough/reliable. I only use them for pre-screening, and I mention this in all of my ads posted on Zillow.

One thing that I do which saves a lot of time, eliminates "tire kickers", and typically weeds out unqualified tenants is using a simple Google Form prescreening questionnaire. A lot self-managing landlords started doing this during the pandemic, and it has worked wonders for me especially in regards to eliminate "ghost showings". It sends a clear message that I'm actually going to do my due diligence, and anyone who is serious about renting will know the answers and spend a minute filling it out. Those are aren't serious won't bother. I don't ask anything personally sensitive or illegal, but moreso things like "Does anyone smoke/vape in your household?" "What is your household combined income?" "How many people would live here?" "Can you provide proof of paid rent for the past XX months?" "Do you have any animals, and if so, what type and breed?" You get the idea.

Should I use Zillow application in Buffalo ny

Should I use Zillow application in Buffalo ny

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