What's in a tenant screening?

A tenant screening usually involves checking the things explained on this page. The specifics can vary depending on the landlord, property management company, and state laws — but these are the standard categories you're likely to encounter as an applicant. This applies primarily to the USA, though the general process is similar in most other countries.

Credit Score and Credit History

This helps landlords assess how well an applicant manages their finances, pays bills and loans, and whether they have any outstanding debts or judgments. Outstanding debt to a previous landlord is especially likely to raise a flag. Most landlords look for a minimum credit score, though what that threshold is varies. Some smaller private landlords may weigh other factors more heavily if your score is lower than ideal.

Worth knowing as an applicant: under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), landlords must get your written consent before pulling a credit report, and if they deny your application based on that report they must provide you with a written adverse action notice explaining why. You then have the right to request a free copy of the report that was used and to dispute any errors directly with the reporting bureau.

One development worth knowing about: some states have begun restricting the use of credit history in tenant screening for applicants using housing subsidies. Colorado, for instance, passed legislation effective January 2026 prohibiting landlords from considering credit reports for applicants using housing vouchers. Other states are moving in similar directions, so local laws are increasingly relevant here.

Income and Employment Verification

This confirms whether the applicant has a steady income source and can afford to pay rent. Employers may be contacted to verify employment status and income. The general rule of thumb landlords apply is that monthly income should be at least two to three times the monthly rent, though this isn't a legal requirement. Other financial obligations you carry — car payments, student loans, existing debt — can factor into how a landlord assesses affordability even if they're not formally part of the screening report.

Income doesn't have to come from traditional employment. Many states now require landlords to consider all lawful sources of income, including self-employment, retirement income, disability benefits, and housing assistance. Refusing to rent to someone solely because their income comes from a housing voucher is illegal under fair housing laws in a growing number of jurisdictions.

Rental History

Previous landlords may be contacted to verify whether the applicant paid rent on time and took care of the property, and whether they would rent to the same person again. This is one of the most influential parts of a tenant screening from a landlord's perspective. A strong rental history can offset weaknesses elsewhere in an application; a troubled one is hard to overcome regardless of how good the credit score looks.

If you're a first-time renter with no rental history, being upfront about that and offering alternative references (an employer, a professor, a long-term personal contact) is generally a better approach than leaving the section blank.

Criminal Background Check

This is done to assess whether the applicant has a criminal history that may pose a concern for the property or other tenants. Applicants with criminal records may have better luck with smaller, private landlords where personal judgment can factor into the decision more directly than it would at a large property management company with standardized screening criteria.

It's also worth knowing that blanket policies that automatically deny anyone with any criminal record have come under increasing legal scrutiny under federal fair housing guidelines. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued guidance recommending that landlords evaluate criminal history on an individualized basis rather than through automatic disqualification, taking into account the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and evidence of rehabilitation. Some states and cities have gone further and codified specific limits on how far back a criminal check can reach or which types of offenses can be considered.

Eviction History

This checks whether the applicant has been evicted from a rental property in the past. Eviction records are taken seriously by most landlords, as they represent a documented breakdown of a prior tenancy. As with criminal history, applicants with an eviction on their record tend to have better luck with smaller, private landlords who can weigh the full context of what happened. If the eviction was related to circumstances that have since changed — job loss, a health crisis, a dispute that was later resolved — being able to explain that directly to a landlord can make a difference.

References

Personal and professional references may be checked to get a clearer picture of the applicant's character, habits, and reliability as a tenant. The most meaningful reference is typically a previous landlord, which is why rental history and references overlap considerably. Personal references are generally given less weight than professional or landlord references, but they're still worth providing from people who can speak specifically to your reliability and responsibility rather than just your character generally.

Portable Tenant Screening Reports

One relatively new development worth knowing about is the portable tenant screening report (PTSR), sometimes called a reusable screening report. Traditionally, each landlord ran their own background check and charged the applicant a separate fee for it — which adds up quickly when you're applying to multiple properties at once. A portable report is one the tenant generates themselves and can share with multiple landlords, potentially avoiding repeated fees.

Several states have now passed laws requiring landlords to accept valid portable reports, including Colorado, which was the first to mandate it. Illinois, Texas, Maryland, and others have introduced similar rules in 2024 and 2025. As more states recognize these reports, their use is continuing to increase, particularly in competitive rental markets where applicants are applying to several properties simultaneously. If you're actively looking for housing and expect to apply in multiple places, it's worth checking whether your state has PTSR rules in place before paying for a new report each time.

Application Fees

Most landlords charge an application fee to cover the cost of running the screening. What they can charge varies by state. California caps screening fees at around $64.50 per applicant (indexed to inflation). New York caps them at roughly $20. Some states require fees to reflect only the actual cost of the screening with no markup. If you submit a valid portable report in a state that requires landlords to accept them, many of those same laws prohibit the landlord from charging you an additional screening fee.

If your application is denied based on a screening report, landlords are generally required under the FCRA to tell you which reporting agency provided the report and how to contact them. That's your starting point if you believe something in the report is inaccurate.