How We Screen Tenants: Our Proven Process Since 1984
Greetings from your Property Management Team!
Ask any rental investor what keeps them up at night, and the answer is usually the same: Who is living in my house?
Choosing the resident is the most important decision in property management. Get it right and you get on-time rent, a cared-for home, and a lease renewal. Get it wrong and you get the expensive kind of surprise. ELLIS HomeSource has served owners since 1984, and after 40 years, our screening process is what I’m proudest of.
Real People, Not Just Software
Our leasing professionals personally screen and qualify every applicant. A computer can score a credit report, but experience tells you when a story doesn’t add up. We also work with more than 22 relocation specialists and their hundreds of prospects. That helps us fill vacancies quickly with qualified people, without lowering the bar.
What We Look At
Employment and income. Verifiable employment and income of at least three times the monthly rent.
Credit history. We review credit obligations, bankruptcies, repossessions, broken leases, and other financial factors.
Rental history. This is the big one. Evictions, unpaid lease balances, or poor rental records may mean a denial.
Criminal history. Every applicant also goes through a criminal background check.
Age. Applicants must meet minimum age requirements: 18 or older, and 21 in certain cases.
Pets. Every animal is assessed through PetScreening.com, our pet and emotional support animal screening partner, which rates risk and verifies vaccinations.
Fair and Consistent
Screening only protects you when it’s applied the same way every time. We hold every applicant to the same standard, and that consistency is how we stay on the right side of the Fair Housing Act. Texas has its own rules for rental applications, too, and our team keeps up with them.
Emotional support animals are a good example. Under Fair Housing, a legitimate ESA is not a pet, so we never charge pet fees or deposits for one. The animal still has to behave, though. The resident is responsible for its conduct, just as with any pet.
Why It Matters to Your Bottom Line
Industry estimates put the total cost of a single eviction at thousands of dollars once you add legal fees, lost rent, and turnover, and lost rent during a two-to-three month process is the largest piece. That’s before the damage to your property and your peace of mind. snappt
Good screening is the cheapest protection you’ll ever buy. Qualified residents pay on time, care for the home, and renew. You know my feelings about turnover. Screening is where we stop it before it starts.
After Approval
Approval isn’t the finish line. Every resident carries renter’s insurance and pays a security deposit, typically one month’s rent. We then manage the move-in so the home starts the lease in documented, ready condition.
What It Means for You
We can’t promise a perfect resident every time. Nobody can. But after four decades, we know which red flags matter, which small ones don’t, and when a good story is really a good applicant.
If an eviction ever becomes necessary, we manage the process with attorneys and keep you informed. Evictions are very uncommon at ELLIS, and that’s no accident. It’s the result of screening and of working with residents before small problems turn into big ones.
Curious how this works for your property? Reach out to your property manager or visit ellishomesource.com. I love hearing from you!
Rick Ellis, CAM, CPM
President/Broker
ELLIS HomeSource Property Management, AMO
