Screening tenants without breaking the law

Good screening protects your property and your applicants. The key is a consistent, written process you apply to everyone, the same way, every time.

Set criteria before you advertise

Decide your income multiple, credit threshold, and rental-history requirements in writing, up front. Applying published criteria uniformly is your best defense against a fair-housing complaint.

What you can and can’t ask

• Focus on ability to pay and history of paying: income, references, prior tenancies.
• Never base decisions on a protected class (race, religion, family status, disability, and more).
• Document the legitimate, business reason for any denial.