Every landlord wants a unicorn renter who pays on time, takes care of the place, and maybe even shovels the snow without being asked.
But before you can get more leads , you’ve got to get through the tenant pre-qualifying process—a place many landlords burn more time and energy than necessary.
The upside? With a clear plan (and the right property management tools), pre-qualifying potential tenants can be quick and painless. Here are some tried-and-true tips that will save you hours, headaches, and maybe even a few cuss words.
Set the ground rules upfront
One of the easiest ways to speed up the tenant pre-qualifying process? Let applicants pre-qualify themselves. Include your specific rental requirements in your listing, and you can filter out unqualified renters before they ever hit apply.
Some rules worth mentioning:
- Application fee and amount (Note: Some states require landlords to disclose all fees upfront with potential tenants, so this also keeps you compliant)
- Credit and background check required
- Specific income requirements (3x the monthly rent, etc.)
- Pet policy (yes, no, or with a deposit)
Another perk? Being upfront at the beginning keeps you from answering the same “do you accept pets” email 447 times.
Pro Tip: Instead of wasting time chasing down missing pay stubs or half-filled forms, clearly state that you only accept complete applications for review. This alone can cut down hours of your time.
Know your rental criteria and stick to it
Another way to save time pre-qualifying tenants is to establish your rental criteria beforehand. The more consistent you are, the easier it will be to make the right decision. Not only does this save time, but it helps you avoid Fair Housing violations since every applicant is held to the same standard.
Make sure to write your pre-qual criteria down so it’s easier to apply to every applicant. Ask yourself:- What’s the lowest credit score you’ll accept?
- Will you check landlord references every time?
- Do you verify income? How? (Pay stubs, bank statements, verification service, etc.)
- How do you handle red flags? (Debt collections, judgements)
Write down your “no-go” signals for quick rejections. These might look like:
- Inconsistent answers between applications and phone calls
- Reluctance to authorize a background check
- Rushing to move in before they’ve seen the property
Pro Tip: With Tenant Turner, you can set your pre-pre-qual questions and forget it—speeding up the process and ensuring you haven’t forgotten anything.
Let the tools do the heavy lifting
There’s no award for manually chasing down references and printing credit reports. With Tenant Turner, you can pre-qualify applicants automatically so you’re only working with serious, qualified renters. It's just another way you can automate the leasing process to save time.
Play the long game with rental history
There’s no better way to reduce time spent on tenant pre-qualification than by having long-term renters the first time.
Credit scores tell you part of an applicant’s story—but rental history tells you how someone has behaved as a renter. Look for tenants who’ve stayed put for longer stretches of time for the best bet. Have they had five landlords in five years? That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, but it’s a conversation worth bringing up if you plan to continue with the application process.
Pro Tip: First-time renters can be great, but you may want to consider a co-signer or additional verification—like credit, background, and income verification, as well as references— if they don’t have much of a track record.
Fair and square wins every time
To save yourself from legal headaches, keep your pre-qualifying process objective. Use the same application, fee, and requirements for every applicant. Consistency is your best defense against an applicant claiming bias, and it keeps your decision-making precise, clear, and fast.
Final thoughts
Tenants pre-qualifying no longer needs to be a marathon of phone calls, paperwork, and guesswork. By setting upfront criteria, leaning on professional pre-qualifying services, and keeping the process consistent, you’ll spend less time sorting through unqualified applicants and canceling no-shows, and more time finding reliable, long-term renters.
Save time with the right tools
Ready to cut down on tenant pre-qualifying? Tenant Turner allows you to pre-qualify leads automatically and only show your rental to qualified tenants, saving hours of back-and-forth during the pre-qualifying process.
Start leasing faster with Tenant Turner today!