Tenant Screening Scorecard

The fairest way to screen tenants is also the most defensible: judge every applicant against the same written criteria. Set your policy once, then score each applicant — the math does the deciding, not your gut.

Apply your criteria consistently to every applicant. Some states and cities restrict what you can consider (e.g., criminal history lookback limits, application-fee caps, source-of-income protections). Review your local rules and keep an adverse-action notice handy if you deny based on a screening report — the FCRA requires it.

Score each category

Rate every category for this applicant. Weights reflect common landlord practice — your written policy controls.

Income vs. rent — 25 pts

Gross monthly income at least 3× rent = full marks.

Credit history — 20 pts

Look at patterns (late payments, collections), not just the score.

Rental history & references — 20 pts

On-time rent, lease compliance, and what prior landlords actually say.

Employment stability — 15 pts

Stable, verifiable income matters more than job title.

Eviction / collections history — 10 pts

A prior eviction is the single strongest predictor of a future one.

Background check — 10 pts

Apply the policy you wrote — check your state/city lookback limits first.

Automatic disqualifiers

Check any that apply per YOUR written policy. These override the score.

Screening scorecard

CategoryPoints

Bands (adjust to your written policy): 85–100 strong candidate · 65–84 acceptable, consider conditions (higher deposit where legal, cosigner) · below 65 high risk. Score every applicant the same way and keep completed scorecards on file.

Not legal advice. Fair-housing law prohibits different treatment based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin — plus any additional state/local protected classes. If you deny based on a consumer report, send an adverse-action notice under the FCRA.

Pair this with How to Screen Tenants and Best Tenant Screening Services 2026.