What should written rental criteria include?
Quick answer
Written rental criteria list the exact standards every applicant must meet: minimum income, credit and background thresholds, rental history, occupancy limits, and required documents. Put them in writing before you advertise, give them to every applicant, and apply them the same way to everyone. Consistent, documented criteria are your strongest defense in a fair housing dispute. Some limits vary by state.
The Core Standards to Spell Out
Good criteria are specific enough that two people reading them would score the same applicant the same way. Cover the factors that actually predict whether rent gets paid and the unit stays in good shape:
- Income. State a minimum, such as a common rule of thumb of two to three times the monthly rent, and how you verify it.
- Credit and debts. Note any minimum score or how you weigh collections and payment history.
- Rental and eviction history. Define what past filings or unpaid balances mean for an application.
- Identity and documents. List the ID and proof of income you require from every adult.
Put It in Writing Before You Advertise
Set your criteria before the first showing, not after you have met the applicants. Deciding the bar in advance stops you from bending it to fit or exclude a particular person, which is exactly where trouble starts.
Once written, share the same document with everyone who asks to apply. Many landlords hand it over with the application itself. That way no one can claim they were held to a hidden or different standard, and you have a clear record of what you asked of each applicant.
Keep It Fair and Legal
Fair housing law bars decisions based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Your written criteria should measure ability to pay and care for the unit, never anything that stands in for a protected class.
Some rules go further than the federal baseline. A number of states and cities add protected categories or limit how you treat things like source of income, criminal records, and application fees. Because those rules vary, review the guides at /laws/ and confirm the specifics with your own counsel.
Where Landlords Go Wrong
- Vague standards. Terms like good credit or stable job invite inconsistent, arguable decisions. Attach a number or a clear definition.
- Changing the bar mid-search. Raising or lowering requirements once applications arrive undercuts every claim of fairness.
- Keeping it in your head. Unwritten criteria are impossible to prove you applied evenly. Get them on paper.
- Blanket bans. Automatic rejections for any record can run afoul of local rules. Weigh relevance instead of using a flat no.
How Rentari helps
Once your criteria are set, Rentari helps you apply them the same way to every applicant. Run credit, background, and eviction checks through AI Tenant Screening, with signed consent captured before any report is pulled. Confirm the applicant is who they say and earns what they claim using Income and ID Verification, so your income standard is checked against real proof rather than a number on a form.
If you are still deciding what a report will actually show, the tenant background check guide walks through each section, which makes it easier to write thresholds you can defend and repeat.
Related questions
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This article is general information for landlords, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and city; verify specifics with the official statute or a licensed professional. See our state law guides.