Finding the right tenant is one of the most important decisions a landlord can make. A thorough screening process helps reduce financial risk, protect your property, and create positive landlord-tenant relationships.
It is also the decision that is hardest to undo. A vacancy costs you a month of rent. The wrong resident can cost you far more than that in unpaid rent, property damage, and legal fees. The good news is that a consistent, well-documented screening process filters most of that risk out before anyone gets a key.
Start With Written Criteria, Applied to Everyone
Before you post the listing, write down your rental criteria. Income requirements, credit thresholds, rental history expectations, occupancy limits, pet policy, all of it. Then apply those criteria identically to every applicant.
This is not just good practice. It is your best protection against a fair housing complaint. When your standards are written down in advance and applied the same way every time, your decisions are defensible. When they are made case by case in your head, they are not.
Publish your criteria with the listing so applicants can self-select. It saves everyone time.
Know the Fair Housing Rules That Apply in Virginia
Federal fair housing law protects seven classes: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Virginia’s Fair Housing Law adds several more, including elderliness, military status, source of funds, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Source of funds became a protected class in Virginia in July 2020, and it catches a lot of landlords off guard. It means you generally cannot refuse an applicant simply because they intend to pay with a housing voucher or other lawful assistance program. You can still apply your income and credit standards, but you have to apply them to the assistance the same way you would to a paycheck.
The practical rule: screen the application, not the applicant. Evaluate income, credit, rental history, and background. Do not evaluate who someone is.
The Screening Checklist
1. A Complete Written Application
Require every adult who will live in the unit to submit their own application. Incomplete applications should be returned, not guessed at. You want current and previous addresses, employment information, income, references, and authorization to run credit and background checks.
2. Income Verification
The common standard is gross monthly income of at least three times the monthly rent, though many Charlottesville and Shenandoah Valley owners use 2.5 times depending on the market and price point. Whatever you choose, use it consistently.
Verify with recent pay stubs, an offer letter, tax returns for self-employed applicants, or benefit award letters. Do not rely on the number written on the application alone.
3. Credit Report
You are looking for patterns, not perfection. A single medical collection is not the same signal as a history of missed housing payments. Pay particular attention to prior evictions, housing-related collections, and outstanding balances to former landlords.
Set a minimum score in your written criteria so this stays objective.
4. Rental History Verification
This is the step most often skipped and most often revealing. Call the previous two landlords, not just the current one. A current landlord who wants a problem tenant to leave has an incentive to give a glowing reference.
Ask specific questions:
- What were the lease dates and the monthly rent?
- Was rent paid on time consistently?
- Did they give proper notice before moving out?
- What was the condition of the unit at move-out?
- Were there complaints from neighbors?
- Would you rent to them again?
Verify that you are actually speaking to a landlord. Cross-check the property owner through public records if anything feels off.
5. Employment Verification
Contact the employer directly using a number you look up independently, not one provided on the application. Confirm employment status, position, and length of employment.
6. Background and Eviction Check
Run a criminal background check and an eviction history search through a reputable screening service. On criminal history, HUD guidance discourages blanket bans on anyone with a record. Consider the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether it relates to the safety of the property or other residents. Document your reasoning.
7. Meet the Applicant
A showing is a screening step. How someone communicates, whether they show up on time, and how they treat the property during a tour all tell you something a report will not.
Follow the Adverse Action Rules
If you deny an applicant based in whole or in part on information in a consumer report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires you to send an adverse action notice. It must identify the reporting agency, state that the agency did not make the decision, and inform the applicant of their right to a free copy of the report and to dispute inaccuracies.
Keep applications and screening records on file. If a complaint ever arises, your documentation is your defense.
Common Mistakes Worth Avoiding
- Skipping screening because the unit has been vacant too long. Vacancy is expensive. A bad tenant is more expensive.
- Accepting cash for the deposit without a receipt. Document every dollar.
- Only screening one adult in a couple. Every adult occupant should be screened and on the lease.
- Making exceptions for someone you like. Inconsistent standards are exactly what fair housing complaints are built on.
- Relying on documents the applicant provides without verifying them. Pay stubs and reference letters can be fabricated.
When It Makes Sense to Hand This Off
Screening well takes time, access to reliable reporting tools, and current knowledge of federal, state, and local requirements. For owners with a single property nearby, doing it yourself is very manageable. For owners with multiple units, out-of-area properties, or a full-time job, the calculus changes.
BlueSky manages more than 1,250 homes, townhomes, apartments, and condominiums throughout Central Virginia. We run a consistent, documented screening process on every application, and our leasing team knows the Charlottesville and Shenandoah Valley markets well enough to price and position a home so it does not sit empty while we wait for the right applicant.
Want to talk about your property? Call us at 434.295.4663 or visit blueskypm.com.
This article is general information for Virginia rental property owners and is not legal advice. Fair housing and screening requirements change. Consult a qualified attorney for guidance on your specific situation.