How to Create and Manage Rental Criteria Settings

Create and Manage Your Rental Criteria Settings

Having clear rental criteria is essential for managing your properties effectively and staying compliant with Fair Housing laws. Well-defined criteria help maintain a professional, business-focused application process from the start.

Each applicant investigation will generate a recommendation based on the rental criteria you’ve set in your Rent Perfect account. While the system includes default criteria commonly used by landlords, you can customize these settings to fit your unique property requirements.

To update your criteria, click “Rental Criteria” on your home page. Be sure to review and set your preferences for credit score minimums, criminal and eviction records, and use the “Additional Criteria” box to include any other requirements specific to your property.

If a criminal record is found, landlords are encouraged to conduct an individualized assessment to evaluate risk before making a final decision.

 Watch this Video from Rent Perfect President to learn why Rental Criteria is important and how to create solid criteria:

Download Rent Perfect's FREE RENTAL CRITERIA GUIDELINES Here!

Things to Consider When Creating Your Rental Criteria:

• What credit scores are you willing to accept?
  Keep in mind: the lower the score, the higher the risk of nonpayment.
• Will you consider conditional approvals?
  What credit score range might require a higher deposit or a cosigner?
• What is the absolute lowest credit score you'll accept?
  Set a clear boundary to avoid making impulsive exceptions.
• How will you handle prior evictions or criminal records?
  Will you allow applicants with past evictions or convictions? How far back will you look? (Note: If criminal records are found, Fair Housing laws require an individualized assessment.)
• What important time frames should your applicants know about?
  Be clear about expectations such as:
  – When the application must be completed
  – When a holding deposit is due
  – When a security deposit is due
  – When move-in or lease signing must occur
• Can you trust them with your investment?
  Ask yourself: Will this person respect your property? Could they or their guests cause issues? Are they likely to be a responsible, reliable tenant?

⚖️ Compliance Tip: Always check your local laws and have your rental criteria reviewed by an attorney before use.

Check out these other helpful articles:

Sending your criteria to your applicants

Credit Score Basics

 Custom Rental Criteria for Properties