The rental application process for landlords, in order

The seven steps

1. Write your criteria and fee policy before you advertise.
2. Accept one application per adult who will live there.
3. Collect written consent for credit and background checks.
4. Verify what the applicant gave you: ID, income, past landlord.
5. Decide against your written criteria, in the order complete applications arrive.
6. Tell every applicant the outcome, with a notice when a report played a part.
7. Sign the lease and collect the deposit, then prepare for move-in.

The rest of this post takes each in turn. Two topics have their own posts, so we link to them rather than repeat: what you can ask on an application and the application fee cap in each state.

Steps 1 and 2: criteria and one application per adult

Put your criteria in one page: the income multiple you require, what you look for in credit and rental history, and how you treat criminal records where the law lets you consider them. Give it to every prospect with the application. If your state or city limits the fee, follow it; if you charge none, say so.

Each adult who will live in the unit applies. A minor child does not. Co-signers fill out the same application, and a person who only guarantees the lease is a different case; see co-signers and guarantors.

Step 3: consent before you pull anything

The FTC explains that a landlord may get a consumer report on a rental applicant, and that written permission from the applicant is a clear way to show a permissible purpose (FTC guide). Put a signed consent on the application, not in a separate email thread.

Step 4: verify what you were given

• ID: match the name and photo to the application.
• Income: pay stubs, an offer letter, or bank statements. Ask all applicants for the same kind of proof.
• Rental history: call the last landlord, and ask only facts you can write down, such as dates, rent paid on time and lease compliance.
• Employment: a phone call or a letter from the employer, if your policy says so.

Example a made-up applicant lists $4,800 a month in income for a $1,600 unit. The owner requires income of 3 times rent, which is $4,800. The pay stubs show $4,650. She falls short of the written criterion by $150 a month, and the owner offers the same options to every applicant who falls short, such as a co-signer. See the 3x income rule.

Steps 5 and 6: decide and tell everyone

Decide on the written criteria, and in the order that complete applications came in. Write down the reason for each decision, in a line. If a report played any part in a denial, a co-signer requirement, or a higher deposit, send the adverse action notice the FCRA requires. Our screening checklist lists what it says.

Tell the people you did not choose too. A short email is enough and saves you follow-up calls. If you decide to keep a backup applicant, say so honestly, and do not tell anyone a unit is rented when it is not (24 CFR 100.80).

Fair housing across all seven steps

The Fair Housing Act bars refusing to rent, or setting different terms and conditions, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin (HUD overview). Many states and cities add more, such as source of income or criminal history rules; see source of income laws. A disabled applicant may need help filling out the form or a different way to prove income. That is a reasonable accommodation request, answered as in this guide.

Step 7: lease and deposit

Once the applicant accepts, hold the unit only after a signed lease or a written holding agreement, and follow your state's cap and timing rules for the deposit. What to do between approval and keys is in the pre-move-in checklist.

How DoorKeeping handles it

Your screening decisions stay yours. When you pick an applicant, you ask Claude or ChatGPT to prepare the lease, the tenant e-signs it, and DoorKeeping sets up the books for that unit. Money and legal steps wait for your one-tap approval. DoorKeeping never holds rent or deposits: the tenant pays your own bank.

Sources

1. FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know, read Oct 30, 2026
2. U.S. Code, Title 42, Section 3604 (Fair Housing Act, discrimination in sale or rental), read Oct 30, 2026
3. HUD, Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act, read Oct 30, 2026
4. 24 CFR 100.80, Discriminatory representations on the availability of dwellings, read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Do I need a separate application for each adult?

Yes, in the usual practice. Every adult who will live in the unit, and every co-signer, should apply and consent to the checks.

In what order should I review applications?

In the order complete applications come in, unless your written policy says otherwise. Whatever you choose, apply it to everyone.

How long does it take to process an application?

It depends on how fast references and reports return. Tell applicants your target at the start, so nobody waits in the dark.