Tenant screening criteria builder
Write down the requirements you already use for income, credit, rental history, pets, smoking and occupancy. Get a clear criteria page to share with applicants, plus the questions that collect the information you need.
Free. No signup required.
Rent and income
3 means gross monthly income of 3 times the rent. It’s a common choice, not a legal standard.
Credit and rental history
Leave blank if you review credit reports without a fixed cutoff.
Property rules
Total people, based on the occupancy standard that applies to your property.
Review process
Your screening criteria
Rental screening criteria Rent - $1,800 per month. Income - Gross monthly income (before taxes) of at least 3x the monthly rent. At $1,800 rent, that is $5,400 per month. - Proof of income may be requested, such as recent pay stubs, an offer letter, benefit statements or bank statements. Credit - A credit check is run only with the applicant’s written consent. Rental history - A reference from a current or previous landlord is requested. Pets - Pets are considered case by case. - Assistance animals are not pets. Requests for them are handled as reasonable accommodation requests. Smoking - No smoking anywhere on the property. How applications are reviewed - The same criteria are applied to every applicant.
This organizes the requirements you chose. It doesn’t check them against the law where your property is. Some states and cities limit what you can require or ask, so confirm your criteria locally before you use them.
Questions that collect this information
- When would you ideally like to move in?
- What is your approximate monthly income?
- What is the source of your income (e.g., employment, self-employed, benefits)?
- Are you able to provide proof of income, ID, and references if requested?
- Would you be comfortable authorizing a credit check?
- Could you provide your previous landlord’s contact information?
- Do you have any pets? If yes, please share some details.
- Does anyone in your household smoke?
Collect the information these criteria need
Criteria describe your requirements. A form collects the answers you need to check them. RentForms shows you every application and never rejects anyone automatically.
- The 8 questions above, which you can still edit
- Monthly rent: $1,800
- Your criteria text isn’t added to the form. Copy it into your listing or send it to applicants.
Free to start. You can publish without an account; we email you a link to verify the form.
Criteria and questions are different
Screening criteria describe your requirements, such as “gross monthly income of at least 3x the rent.” Application questions collect the information you need to check them, such as “What is your approximate monthly income?”
Sharing criteria before people apply helps them decide whether to apply, and helps you review everyone the same way. Some places also require written criteria or notices before you charge an application fee, so check the rules where your property is.
Write criteria you can apply consistently
- Use measurable requirements, like a multiple of rent, rather than impressions like “stable income.”
- Apply the same criteria to every applicant for the same property.
- Treat assistance animals as a reasonable accommodation request, not under your pet policy.
- Base occupancy limits on the standard that applies to your property, not on who the occupants are.
- Keep a copy of the criteria you used for each vacancy.
For more background, read the guide to tenant screening and why rental requirements exist.
Turning criteria into questions
Each requirement you choose adds a matching question when you start a form. An income requirement adds questions about monthly income and its source. A credit check adds a consent question. A pet policy adds a question about pets. To pick questions yourself, use the pre-screening questions builder.
Common questions
- Does this make my screening criteria legally compliant?
- No. The builder organizes the requirements you choose into clear wording. It doesn’t check them against federal, state or local law. Rules on income requirements, criminal history, application fees and written notices vary by location, so confirm your criteria locally.
- Why isn’t criminal history included?
- Rules on using criminal history in tenant screening differ widely between states and cities, and some require individual assessments. Writing that section well depends on where your property is, so it’s left out of this tool.
- What income multiplier should I use?
- That’s your decision. Many landlords use 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent, but no multiplier is universal, and some places restrict income requirements. The rent-to-income calculator shows what any multiplier means in dollars.
- Will RentForms apply these criteria to applicants?
- No. Your criteria aren’t added to the form, and RentForms never rejects applicants automatically. The form collects answers, and you compare them with your criteria yourself.
More free landlord tools
- Tenant pre-screening questions builderChoose the questions to ask applicants before a showing, then copy them or start a form with them.
- Rent-to-income calculatorFind the income a rent requires at the multiplier you choose, or check an applicant’s ratio.
- Prorated rent calculatorWork out partial-month rent for a move-in or move-out using a method you can explain.
- Rental listing description builderTurn your property details into a clear listing description using simple templates.