Tenant Screening Checklist (Free Download)
A tenant screening checklist keeps every applicant on the same path: written criteria first, then identity, income, credit and rental history, criminal history only where the law allows, and a recorded decision with any adverse action notice. Print this free checklist for each applicant and file it with their application. It covers the paperwork side of tenant screening from the listing to the decision.
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Tenant Screening Checklist
Free to use and edit. To get a Word or Google Docs copy, print to PDF or copy the text into a new document.
Tenant screening checklist
Property address: ______________________________________________
Unit: __________ Monthly rent: $ __________
Applicant name: ______________________________________________
Date application received: ______________ Reviewed by: ______________________
Use the same written criteria for every applicant, and screen applications in the order they arrive.
1. Before you advertise
- Written screening criteria prepared (income, credit, rental history, criminal history policy)
- Criteria checked against federal, [STATE] and local fair housing law, including any source-of-income protection
- Application fee set at or below the [STATE] limit (some states cap or ban application fees)
- Criteria given to every applicant before they apply
- Screening service chosen and its applicant authorization process confirmed
2. Application received
- Application complete and signed by each adult applicant
- Signed authorization to obtain consumer reports on file
- Application fee received (if charged): $ __________ Date: ______________
- Photo ID checked and name matches application
3. Income
Minimum income standard: __________ times the monthly rent ( $ __________ per month)
Applicant’s verified gross monthly income: $ __________
- Pay stubs (last 2 to 3)
- Employer verification (called or emailed on ______________ )
- Tax returns, 1099s or bank statements (self-employed)
- Benefits, support or housing voucher income counted the same way as wages
- Meets standard [ ] Does not meet standard [ ] Co-signer or guarantor offered
4. Credit report
Report date: ______________ Provider: ______________________
- Credit report reviewed
- Rent-related debt or collections noted: ______________________
- Bankruptcy (date discharged, if any): ______________________
- Meets standard [ ] Does not meet standard
5. Rental history
| Current landlord | Previous landlord | |
|---|---|---|
| Name and phone | ||
| Date contacted | ||
| Dates of tenancy confirmed | ||
| Rent amount confirmed | ||
| Paid on time? | ||
| Notices served or eviction filed? | ||
| Damage beyond normal wear? | ||
| Would rent to them again? |
- Eviction records search reviewed
- Meets standard [ ] Does not meet standard
6. Criminal history (only if your written policy allows and [STATE] and local law permit)
- Checked only at the stage local law allows (some jurisdictions require a conditional offer first)
- Arrests without a conviction not used
- Each conviction considered individually: nature of the offense, how long ago, and evidence of rehabilitation
- Applicant given a chance to explain or provide information
- Decision and reason recorded: ______________________________________________
7. Decision
- Approved
- Approved with conditions (co-signer, higher deposit where allowed, other: ______________ )
- Denied
Reason (based on written criteria): ______________________________________________
Decision date: ______________ Applicant notified on: ______________ Method: ______________
8. Adverse action (if denied or approved with conditions because of a consumer report)
- Written adverse action notice sent on ______________
- Notice names the consumer reporting agency, with its address and phone number
- Notice states the agency did not make the decision and cannot explain why it was made
- Notice explains the right to a free copy of the report within 60 days and the right to dispute it
- Credit score and key factors disclosed, if a score was used in the decision
9. Records
- Application, reports, criteria and decision filed together
- Records stored securely; Social Security numbers and reports kept private
- Records kept for at least [NUMBER] years
- Reports disposed of securely (shredded or permanently deleted) when no longer needed
This template is general information, not legal advice. Check your state’s rules before using it.
On this page
How to use the tenant screening checklist
Print one checklist per adult applicant, or one per household if you screen them together. Fill in the property, rent and applicant name at the top, then work through the sections in order.
1. Before you advertise
Write your criteria down before the listing goes up: the income multiple, what credit problems disqualify someone, what rental history you need, and your criminal history policy. Give the same written criteria to every applicant. If you change them, change them for the next vacancy, not halfway through this one.
Check the application fee against your state. New York limits it to the actual cost or $20, whichever is less, and Rhode Island has banned application fees since January 1, 2024 (you can pass through the actual cost of the reports).
2. Application received
Tick off the signed application, the signed consent to obtain consumer reports, the fee and the ID check. Don’t order any report until the consent is signed.
3. Income
Fill in your standard as a multiple and a dollar figure, then the applicant’s verified income. An applicant earning $4,200 a month on a $1,650 rent passes at 2.5 times rent ($4,125) and fails at 3 times ($4,950), so the standard you wrote down in section 1 decides it, not your gut.
Verify income with documents, not only with what the applicant wrote. For self-employed applicants, tax returns or several months of bank statements work better than a single pay stub.
4. Credit report
Look at what predicts rent payment: rent-related collections, unpaid utility accounts, recent evictions or judgments. A thin credit file or medical debt tells you much less. Note anything that affects the decision, because it may trigger an adverse action notice.
5. Rental history
Call at least two landlords where possible. The table on the checklist gives you the questions to ask every time, which keeps the calls consistent. Search eviction records too, but remember a filing isn’t the same as a judgment against the tenant.
6. Criminal history
Only fill this in if your written policy includes it and your state and city allow it at this stage. HUD withdrew its 2016 guidance on criminal records in 2025, but a blanket ban on anyone with a record can still draw a Fair Housing Act claim. Arrests without a conviction shouldn’t be used. Consider each conviction individually, and give the applicant a chance to explain. New Jersey’s Fair Chance in Housing Act limits criminal-history inquiries until after a conditional offer, and Portland’s FAIR ordinance adds its own screening rules.
7 and 8. Decision and adverse action
Record the decision, the reason tied to your written criteria, and the date and method you told the applicant. If a consumer report played any part in a denial or a conditional approval, send the adverse action notice and tick each required element on the checklist. If you used a credit score, include it and the key factors that affected it.
9. Records
File the checklist with the application and reports, keep the records for at least two years (a fair housing lawsuit can be filed up to two years after the event), and shred or permanently delete reports when you dispose of them.
State and local screening rules
Beyond the fee rules above, a few patterns show up across states and cities:
- Source of income. Many states and cities ban refusing applicants because they pay with a housing voucher or other lawful income. Where that applies, you can’t advertise “no Section 8” or reject someone for it.
- Criminal history timing. New Jersey and some cities require a conditional offer before any criminal background check.
- Fee caps. From January 1, 2027, Illinois’s HB 3564 (Public Act 104-0479) caps application and screening fees at $50, unless you can document a higher third-party screening cost.
Mistakes to avoid
- Screening one applicant harder than another. The checklist only protects you if you use it for everyone.
- Ordering reports without signed consent.
- Rejecting for a reason that isn’t in your criteria. If it isn’t written down, don’t use it.
- Skipping the adverse action notice. It’s required whenever a report affects the outcome.
- Asking about protected classes. No questions about family plans, religion, national origin or disability.
Questions landlords ask
The questions we get most, each answered in a paragraph.
What should a tenant screening checklist include?
Your written criteria, the signed application and consent, ID check, income verification, credit report review, rental history and landlord references, eviction records, criminal history where allowed, the decision with its reason, and the adverse action notice if one is required. Recording each step on paper shows you treated every applicant the same way.
What income should I require from a tenant?
Most small landlords use gross monthly income of 2.5 to 3 times the rent. On a $1,650 unit, that's $4,125 to $4,950 a month. Whatever multiple you choose, apply it to everyone, and in places with source-of-income protection, count housing vouchers, Social Security and other lawful income the same way you count wages.
Can I turn down an applicant because of a criminal record?
Be careful. A blanket ban on anyone with a criminal record can still draw a Fair Housing Act claim, even though HUD withdrew its 2016 guidance on the subject in 2025. Don't use arrests that didn't lead to a conviction, and weigh any conviction on what it was and how long ago it happened. Some places, such as New Jersey, bar criminal-history questions until after a conditional offer.
What is an adverse action notice?
It's a written notice the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires when you deny an application, require a co-signer, or ask for a higher deposit or rent because of information in a consumer report. It must name the reporting agency, say the agency didn't make the decision, and explain the applicant's right to a free copy of the report within 60 days and to dispute it.
How long does tenant screening take?
Online screening reports usually come back within minutes to a day once the applicant completes their part. Calling landlords and employers takes longer, often one to three business days. Tell applicants roughly when to expect an answer, and process applications in the order they arrive.