Owner Guide · By Paul Raczynski, Florida Broker · Reviewed November 2026

How Professional Tenant Screening Works

Good screening is not a gut feeling about a nice applicant. It is a written standard, applied the same way to every person who applies, with every answer verified instead of taken on faith. Here is how professional screening works in Florida, step by step: what gets checked and why, how the income and credit numbers work, what fair housing law requires, and the red flags worth a second look.

Start to finish

The six steps of a professional screening

The order matters. Criteria come before applicants, and identity comes before everything that depends on it.

1. Written criteria come first

The standards for income, credit, and rental history are written down and published before the home is listed. Every applicant sees the same rules, and every decision is measured against them.

2. A complete application

Each applicant submits a full application and authorizes the background and credit reports. Incomplete applications wait. Comparing a finished file to a half finished one is how inconsistency creeps in.

3. Identity, verified

The name, identification, and history on the application have to match each other and the reports. Mismatches get checked before anything else, because every other check depends on knowing who applied.

4. Income and credit

Pay stubs, offer letters, tax returns, or account statements are verified against the source, not just read. The credit report is reviewed in full, not reduced to a single number.

5. Rental history and records

Prior landlords are contacted to confirm dates, rent, payment record, and whether anything is still owed. Public eviction records are checked as permitted by applicable law.

6. A decision, in writing

The whole file is reviewed against the written criteria: approved, conditionally approved, or declined. When a report played any part in a denial, federal law requires an adverse action notice.

This guide explains the why behind each step. For the exact standards we apply, see our tenant screening service and the published rental requirements applicants read before they apply.

Income ratios

Why income is measured against the rent

Income is the clearest sign of whether rent is affordable month after month, not just on move in day. Our published standard is gross household income of 3 times the rent, or 2.5 times with strong credit. Here is the arithmetic on a home renting for $2,000 a month. That rent is an example to keep the math simple, not a market figure.

3 times the rent

$6,000 a month in gross household income. This is the standard for most applicants.

2.5 times, with strong credit

$5,000 a month. Strong credit earns a lower ratio because it shows a record of paying obligations on time.

Or 2 times the lease in assets

On a 12 month lease, total rent is $24,000, so $48,000 in verifiable liquid assets, documented with recent statements.

Two more paths keep the standard fair without lowering it. Guarantors are accepted, but a guarantor has to qualify independently under the same criteria, counting their own housing costs. Self employed applicants provide the last 2 years of tax returns, because a single strong month is not a pattern. Whatever the path, the income is verified with the source, not read off a document the applicant hands over.

Credit and rental history

What the records really tell you

A credit score shows how someone handles debt. A rental history shows how they handle rent. When the two disagree, rent wins.

Reading a credit report

The score is a starting point, not the decision. Our published bands run from 650 and above, approved with the standard deposit, down to 549 or below, declined, with conditional tiers in between that may call for a higher deposit and strong compensating qualifications. Scores use the combined average of all applicants.

Behind the number, the full report matters: unpaid balances owed to landlords or utilities, recent collections, and whether problems are old and resolved or new and growing. A discharged bankruptcy is OK under our criteria.

Verifying rental history

Our criteria call for the last 2 years of rental history to be verifiable, up to 2 late payments in the past 24 months for standard approval, no outstanding debt to a prior landlord, and no evictions, subject to applicable law. A payment counts as late only if it came after the lease’s grace period.

A practical tip: the landlord before the current one is often the most candid reference, because they have nothing to gain from the applicant leaving. Ask every reference the same questions and write down the answers.

These criteria are an outline, not a rigid formula. Every application is reviewed as a whole, and applicants may provide documents to correct inaccurate rental or credit information. The full wording is on our rental requirements.

Fair housing

Screen the application, never the person

The federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §3604) and the Florida Fair Housing Act (Florida Statutes §760.23) prohibit housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. None of these is ever part of a screening decision. Written criteria applied the same way to everyone are how a landlord shows it.

Same criteria, same order, every time

Every applicant goes through the same steps against the same written standards. Consistency is what lets a landlord explain any decision later, with documents instead of memory.

The listing is covered too

Federal law (42 U.S.C. §3604(c)) and Florida law (§760.23) both prohibit ads and statements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic. Describe the home, never the ideal tenant.

Families are protected

Familial status is a protected characteristic under both laws. Questions about who will live in the home belong to the application for every applicant, asked the same way, never to a conversation at a showing.

Disability protection also means reasonable accommodations in rules and policies, under both laws. The most common one in rental screening is next.

Assistance animals are not pets

A no pet policy does not apply to an assistance animal. Under Florida Statutes §760.27, a person with a disability related need may keep an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation once the request is approved, and may not be required to pay extra compensation for the animal. Service animals are covered separately under §413.08. In practice, that means no pet fee, pet deposit, or pet rent for an approved assistance animal.

When the need is not readily apparent, the housing provider may ask for reliable information that supports it. Under §760.27, an online registration, certificate, patch, or ID card is not enough on its own. A request may be denied if the specific animal poses a direct threat to others’ health or safety, or of property damage, that another accommodation cannot reduce. The resident remains liable for any damage the animal causes, and knowingly falsifying support animal documentation is a crime under §817.265.

The key screening point: an accommodation request is handled separately from the application decision. It never counts against an applicant. See our pet policy for how pets themselves are screened.

New in Florida

Florida’s rental application fraud law

Application fraud used to leave landlords with only a civil case. That changed on October 1, 2026, when CS/HB 1293 (chapter 2026-143, Laws of Florida, approved by the Governor on June 12, 2026) took effect. It created Florida Statutes §817.537, fraudulent entry of a residential dwelling unit. Taking possession of a rental through any of these is a third degree felony:

Knowingly and willfully giving a false written statement about identity on a rental application
Presenting forged or counterfeit documents to the landlord
Impersonating another person on a rental application

A third degree felony in Florida carries up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 under §775.082 and §775.083. The same law amended §83.56, so a landlord may treat fraudulent entry as a violation with no opportunity to cure, giving the tenant 7 days from delivery of the notice to vacate.

What the law does not do is replace verification. It applies to knowing, willful deception, not honest mistakes, and it is a remedy after the fact. The cheapest fraud to deal with is the one caught before the lease is signed, which is why identity is checked first. If a tenancy does have to end in court, our Florida eviction process guide walks through every step.

Worth a second look

Red flags in an application

A red flag is a reason to verify, not a verdict. Every one of these is about documents and history, and each gets the same follow up no matter who applied.

Pay stubs that do not add up

Year to date totals that do not match the pay period, math that does not work, or an employer that cannot be found independently. Verify with the employer using contact details you look up yourself.

Pressure to skip steps

An applicant who wants keys today, before verification, or who offers several months of rent up front to make the checks unnecessary. A good applicant has nothing to lose from a standard process.

References you cannot reach

A “landlord” whose number goes to a personal cell and who cannot be tied to the property in public records. Confirm ownership of a prior rental before you trust the reference.

Details that do not match

A name, date of birth, or prior address on the application that differs from the identification or the reports. Sometimes it is a typo. It should always be resolved before approval.

History that stops

A rental history that goes quiet for a stretch with no explanation. Ask, and verify the answer. Our criteria call for 2 years of rental history that can be verified.

Documents that look edited

Mismatched fonts, blurred figures, or bank statements in a format the bank does not use. Ask for statements sent directly or downloaded while you watch.

When the answer is no

A denial has rules of its own. If a credit or background report played any part in the decision, even a small one, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §1681m) requires an adverse action notice. The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance for landlords says the notice names the reporting company and how to reach it, states that the company did not make the decision, and tells the applicant they may get a free copy of the report within 60 days and dispute anything inaccurate. If a credit score was used, the score is disclosed as well.

This is where written criteria pay off a second time. A decision that points to a published standard is easy to explain, easy to document, and easy to defend. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Screening on your own

You can do every step on this page yourself. The keys are to write your criteria before you list, run every applicant through the same steps, verify with the source, keep the file, and send the right notice when you decline. Weighing the whole job? Read hire a property manager or self manage.

Screening with us

Paul and his team screen every applicant against our published criteria on every plan, including Lease Only at 0% monthly. See what is included on tenant placement, or compare every plan on our pricing page.

Tenant screening in Florida: questions, answered

How do property managers screen tenants?

A professional manager publishes written criteria first, then runs every applicant through the same steps: a complete application, identity verification, credit, verified income, rental history from prior landlords, and public records checks as permitted by law. The whole file is measured against the written standards, and the decision is put in writing. Our own criteria are published on our homes for rent page, so applicants and owners see the same rules.

What income do you require to rent a home?

Our published standard is gross household income of 3 times the monthly rent, or 2.5 times with strong credit. Applicants without enough income may qualify with verifiable liquid assets of at least 2 times the total rent for the lease term, and guarantors are accepted if they qualify independently under the same criteria. Self employed applicants provide the last 2 years of tax returns.

What credit score do you need to rent?

Under our published criteria, 650 and above is approved with the standard deposit, 600 to 649 may be conditionally approved with a possibly higher deposit, 550 to 599 is considered only with strong compensating qualifications, and 549 or below is declined. Scores use the combined average of all applicants. A good score never overrides a poor rental payment history.

Can a landlord refuse an emotional support animal in Florida?

Generally no, if the request is supported. Under Florida Statute §760.27, a person with a disability related need may keep an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation once the housing provider approves the request, without paying extra for the animal. When the need is not readily apparent, the provider may ask for reliable information supporting it, and an online registration or certificate alone is not enough. A request may be denied if the animal poses a direct threat that another accommodation cannot reduce. Service animals are covered separately under §413.08.

Is lying on a rental application a crime in Florida?

Starting October 1, 2026, certain kinds are. CS/HB 1293 (chapter 2026-143, Laws of Florida) created §817.537, which makes it a third degree felony to take possession of a rental by knowingly and willfully giving a false written statement about identity on an application, presenting forged documents, or impersonating someone else. The same law amended §83.56 so a landlord can treat it as a violation with no chance to cure, with 7 days to vacate after notice.

What has to happen when an application is denied?

If a credit or background report played any part in the denial, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §1681m) requires an adverse action notice. Per the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance for landlords, it names the reporting company and its contact details, states that the company did not make the decision, and explains the applicant’s right to a free copy of the report and to dispute errors. If a credit score was used, the score must be disclosed too.

Does a past eviction or bankruptcy rule an applicant out?

Under our published criteria, a discharged bankruptcy is OK. Our criteria call for no evictions, subject to applicable law, and no outstanding debt to a prior landlord. Every application is reviewed as a whole, and applicants may provide documents to correct inaccurate information.

Do you screen tenants on the Lease Only plan?

Yes. Full screening against the same written criteria is included on every plan, including Lease Only at 0% monthly. Our tenant screening page shows exactly what is checked, and our pricing page lists every plan.

Want every applicant screened this way?

See exactly how our tenant screening works, start with a free rental analysis from a licensed Florida broker, or call (407) 588-9600.

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