How to Build a Tenant Screening Criteria Document

A tenant screening criteria document is one of the most important things a landlord can have — and one of the things most independent landlords skip. It seems like extra work until you receive a fair housing complaint from a rejected applicant. Then it becomes the document that protects you.

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What Is a Screening Criteria Document?

A tenant screening criteria document is a written statement of the objective standards you apply to every rental applicant. It specifies exactly what you require in terms of income, credit, rental history, and other factors — and it's applied consistently to every applicant regardless of who they are.

Why it matters:

Without written criteria your decisions are subjective. Subjective decisions are hard to defend if challenged. With written criteria you can show exactly why an applicant was approved or denied — based on objective standards that apply equally to everyone.

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The Fair Housing Foundation

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. State and local laws add additional protected classes in some areas.

Fair housing violations often don't involve overt discrimination. They arise from:

Inconsistent application of standards — approving one applicant with a 590 credit score and denying another with the same score, with no documented reason for the difference.

Disparate impact — a policy that appears neutral but disproportionately affects a protected class. A blanket ban on applicants with any criminal record may disproportionately impact racial minorities.

Vague criteria — "we select the most qualified applicant" sounds neutral but is meaningless without definition. What does "most qualified" mean?

Written, objective criteria applied consistently are your best defense against all of these issues.

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The Seven Components of Screening Criteria

1. Income Requirement

State the minimum income required relative to rent.

Standard: Gross monthly income of at least 3x the monthly rent.

Documentation required: Two recent pay stubs, or three months of bank statements for self-employed applicants, or a signed offer letter for new employment.

How to handle Section 8/vouchers: If you accept housing vouchers the income ratio applies only to the tenant's portion of rent — not the full rent amount.

Example language:

"Applicants must demonstrate gross monthly income of at least three times the monthly rent. Income must be verifiable through documentation."

2. Credit Score Minimum

State your minimum credit score and what you check.

Standard: 620 or higher is the most common threshold. Some landlords use 650 or 680 for higher-end properties.

What matters beyond the score: Payment history (especially recent), any eviction judgments, utility collections, and active collections accounts.

Example language:

"Applicants must have a minimum credit score of 620. Eviction judgments within the past five years are disqualifying. Active collections accounts will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis."

3. Rental History

Specify what rental history you require and what will disqualify an applicant.

Standard requirements:

• Verifiable rental history for the past 2-3 years
• No eviction judgments within the past 3-5 years
• Positive references from previous landlords
• No lease violations documented by previous landlords

For first-time renters (no rental history): Require additional income documentation, a co-signer, or a larger security deposit (where permitted by law).

Example language:

"Applicants must provide rental history for the past 24 months with verifiable landlord references. Eviction judgments within the past three years are disqualifying."

4. Criminal Background

This is the most sensitive area of screening criteria given fair housing guidance.

HUD has issued guidance cautioning against blanket criminal history bans, particularly for:

• Arrests without convictions
• Old offenses with no subsequent issues
• Offenses unrelated to the tenancy

Best practice: Evaluate criminal history on a case-by-case basis considering:

• Nature and severity of the offense
• Time elapsed since the offense
• Evidence of rehabilitation
• Relevance to the rental situation (property crimes, violence affecting housing safety)

What to exclude from consideration:

• Arrests without convictions
• Expunged records
• Juvenile records

Example language:

"Criminal background will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Consideration will be given to the nature of the offense, time elapsed, and evidence of rehabilitation. Convictions for violent crimes or crimes directly related to rental housing will be weighed more heavily. Arrests without conviction, expunged records, and juvenile records will not be considered."

5. Employment Stability

Specify employment requirements.

Standard: Employed for at least six months at current employer, or documented history of stable employment.

Self-employed applicants: Two years of tax returns showing income sufficient to meet the income requirement.

Example language:

"Applicants must be currently employed or have a documented income source. Self-employed applicants must provide two years of tax returns. Income must meet the 3x monthly rent threshold."

6. Number of Occupants

Specify occupancy limits while complying with fair housing standards.

HUD's general standard: Two persons per bedroom is a reasonable occupancy limit. Applying stricter limits may violate fair housing protections for families.

Example language:

"Maximum occupancy is two persons per bedroom. This policy is applied equally to all applicants."

7. Pets

Be specific about your pet policy.

Options:

• No pets permitted
• Cats only
• Dogs under [X] pounds
• Any pets with pet deposit/fee

Important: Service animals and emotional support animals are not pets under fair housing law and cannot be excluded by a no-pets policy. You must provide reasonable accommodations.

Example language:

"No pets permitted except as required by law for service animals and emotional support animals. Applicants requesting a disability-related accommodation for an animal should contact the landlord in writing."

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How to Use the Criteria Document

Before Advertising

Write your criteria before you accept a single application. Criteria established before you know who is applying cannot be accused of targeting a specific person.

Make It Available

Provide the criteria document to any applicant who asks. Post it on your listing if possible. Transparency about your standards is a fair housing best practice.

Apply It Consistently

Every applicant — without exception — is evaluated against the same criteria. Document your evaluation for each applicant. Keep records for at least three years.

Document Decisions

For every denial, document the specific criteria the applicant failed to meet. "Denied — credit score of 580, below our minimum of 620" is a defensible decision. "Denied — didn't seem like a good fit" is not.

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What Your Criteria Cannot Include

Screening criteria cannot directly or indirectly discriminate based on protected classes. Prohibited criteria include:

• Minimum income requirements so high they effectively exclude certain groups
• Criminal history bans that disproportionately impact racial minorities without individualized assessment
• Requirements that effectively exclude families with children
• Policies targeting specific national origins or religions
• Any criterion based on a protected characteristic

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Sample Screening Criteria Document

RENTAL SCREENING CRITERIA
[Property Address]
[Your Name/Company]

These criteria apply equally to all applicants.

INCOME: Gross monthly income must equal or 
exceed three times the monthly rent. 
Documentation required.

CREDIT: Minimum credit score of 620. 
No eviction judgments within five years.

RENTAL HISTORY: Verifiable rental history 
for 24 months. No evictions within three years.
Positive landlord references required.

CRIMINAL HISTORY: Evaluated individually 
considering nature, severity, time elapsed, 
and rehabilitation. Arrests without conviction 
not considered.

EMPLOYMENT: Current employment or verifiable 
income source required.

OCCUPANCY: Maximum two persons per bedroom.

PETS: [Your pet policy]

These criteria will be applied consistently 
to all applicants. Applicants with disabilities 
may request reasonable accommodations.

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Managing Screening Criteria in TameRent

TameRent's screening module applies your criteria consistently to every applicant and documents the evaluation — creating an automatic paper trail that protects you in any fair housing investigation.