The Rental Application: What to Require Up Front (2024)

TL;DR: A rental application should require government ID, proof of income at 2.5-3x monthly rent, a credit and background check, and two verifiable landlord references before you accept a deposit. Skipping any one of these is how landlords end up with a tenant who can't pay or won't leave.

_Last reviewed: July 2026 · 7 min read_

You've had the wrong tenant move in before, or you've heard the story from another owner-operator. The fix isn't luck. It's a rental application that asks for the right documents before you ever show a lease.

Okoniq Property Hub helps you keep every applicant's documents, screening results, and move-in notes in one place instead of scattered across email and paper files.

What income proof should you require?

Require pay stubs, an offer letter, or two years of tax returns showing gross monthly income at least 2.5 to 3 times the rent. A tenant paying $1,800 a month should show at least $4,500 to $5,400 in verifiable monthly income before you sign anything.

Self-employed applicants need more scrutiny, not less. Ask for the last two years of 1099s or tax returns plus three months of bank statements. A single pay stub from a W-2 job is easy to fake with free software; a full bank statement history is much harder to fabricate convincingly. If an applicant hesitates to provide bank statements, that hesitation is data too.

Don't accept verbal promises about a raise or a new job starting "next month." Base the decision on income that exists today, documented in writing.

What credit and background checks are non-negotiable?

Pull a credit report and a criminal background check through a licensed tenant-screening service, never a free online tool. Look for a credit score above 620 as a rough baseline, though the right number depends on your market and rent level. More important than the number itself is the pattern: recent collections, multiple missed payments, or an eviction judgment in the last five years are bigger red flags than one dinged score from a medical bill.

Run every applicant through the same screening company and the same criteria every time. This isn't just about risk, it's about staying inside Fair Housing rules. If you check credit for one applicant, check it for all of them, using identical cutoffs. Document the criteria in writing before you start reviewing applications, not after you've already decided who you like.

What rental history and references actually matter?

Call the two most recent landlords directly, not just the one listed as a "reference" who might be a friend. Ask three specific questions: did rent arrive on time, was the unit kept in good condition, and would they rent to this person again. A current landlord who says "yes, absolutely" carries more weight than a landlord from four years ago who barely remembers the tenant.

Watch for applicants who only list a landlord from years ago and skip the most recent one. That gap is often a sign of an eviction, a bad move-out, or an unpaid balance they don't want you to find.

| Reference Type | What It Confirms | Reliability | |---|---|---| | Current landlord | Payment habits, unit condition today | High | | Landlord from 2+ years ago | General character, dated info | Medium | | Personal/friend reference | Personality, not payment history | Low |

What paperwork makes the application legally solid?

Require a government-issued photo ID, Social Security number or ITIN for the background check, and a signed disclosure authorizing you to run credit and criminal checks. Without written consent, pulling a credit report can expose you to legal liability under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

List every adult who will live in the unit on the application, not just the person signing the lease. Every adult occupant should go through the same screening, since an unscreened roommate is the same risk as an unscreened primary tenant. Also collect pet information (breed, weight, vaccination records) and vehicle details up front, since retrofitting these into a lease after move-in is harder than asking on day one.

What should the move-in walkthrough confirm before you hand over keys?

The application gets someone approved, but the move-in walkthrough protects both sides once they're in. Walk the unit together and photograph everything, checking basics tenants rarely think about but that matter for safety and liability. Confirm outlets are grounded properly, since 2-prong vs 3-prong outlet issues are common in older units and worth flagging before a tenant plugs in a surge-sensitive appliance. If the home is more than 60 years old, check whether knob-and-tube wiring is still present, since insurance carriers sometimes require disclosure.

Check the panel size too. A unit with only 100 amp service may struggle once a tenant adds window units or an EV charger, and it's better to know that before a mid-lease complaint. If the property has a bathroom exhaust fan, confirm it's actually venting outside rather than into the attic, since a failing bathroom fan is a mold liability landlords often discover too late. Sign a joint move-in condition report with photos so there's no dispute over the security deposit later.

FAQ

How much should I charge for a rental application fee?

Most states cap application fees between $25 and $75 per applicant, though some states like California limit it to the actual cost of screening. Check your state's specific cap before setting a fee, since charging above the limit can trigger fines.

Can I reject an applicant for low income alone?

Yes, if you apply the same income-to-rent ratio to every applicant consistently, such as requiring 3x rent in gross monthly income. The key is applying the exact same standard to everyone who applies, documented in writing before screening begins.

How long should I keep rejected applications on file?

Keep rejected applications and screening records for at least three years in most states, since Fair Housing complaints can be filed well after the fact. Some attorneys recommend five years to be safe, especially in states with longer statutes of limitations.

What if an applicant has an eviction from five years ago?

Look at the full picture rather than an automatic disqualification: what caused it, whether rent was paid up until move-out, and whether the pattern has repeated since. A single eviction from a job loss five years ago with clean history since is very different from three evictions in the last two years.

Should I screen a co-signer the same way as the tenant?

Yes, run a co-signer through the same credit and background check as the primary applicant, since they're the one you'll pursue if rent goes unpaid. A co-signer with weak credit provides little actual protection no matter how good their intentions are.

This is educational information, not legal advice. Tenant screening is governed by state and federal law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Fair Housing Act, so consult a landlord-tenant attorney before finalizing your application criteria.