Pre-screening a rental applicant is an easy way to gather basic information and gain quick insights about a potential tenant before running a credit report on them. It’s a useful strategy in a landlord’s toolkit, especially when there are multiple rental applications.
SingleKey offers a free tool that allows landlords to pre-screen their tenants by using a customizable form. Here’s a quick guide on how to use this simple yet powerful feature.
Step 1: Log in to your account
Log in to your SingleKey account and click the Pre-Screen option at the top of your screen.
Step 2: Customize your form
Near the top of the page, select the Preview form button. This will take you to a new screen with fields on the right-hand side to toggle on and off. Decide from a variety of criteria, such as household income range and source of income, to include on the pre-screening form.
Once you’ve finished customizing the form, click the blue Save & close button to save it for all future tenant pre-screenings.
Step 3: Invite the tenant
Now that you’ve customized your pre-screening form, click the blue Get started button to invite a potential tenant to complete it.
Step 4: Select the level of pre-screening you need
In the pop-up window, choose between a basic pre-screening or Pre-Screen Plus. With Pre-Screen Plus, you’ll get the applicant’s verified credit score, income, and identity. Learn more about the difference between a basic pre-screening and Pre-Screen Plus.
Step 5: Send the pre-screening invitation
Next, choose your rental unit from the first drop-down menu, or add a new property. You can enter up to five renter’s email addresses. You may also copy the link to share the form.
If you chose the Pre-Screen Plus option, you’ll be guided to the checkout page. If you chose a basic pre-screening, selecting Continue will send the invitations to the provided applicant email addresses.
Step 6: Manage the status of pre-screenings
Once you send a pre-screening invitation, the tenant will receive an email within minutes from SingleKey requesting that they complete the form.
Through your SingleKey dashboard, you’ll be able to see which applicants haven’t filled out their pre-screening form yet and decide if you’d like to send them a reminder.
Our pre-screening tool also has search and filter options, so you can find applicants quickly by their name, address, email, the date the application was sent, or by your rental unit’s address.
Step 7: Select your top candidates
As pre-screening forms are completed, you can easily sort rental applicants by credit score and income.
Narrow down your top choices and choose which prospective renters to continue screening by running a full credit report on them.
Our final thoughts
Taking a layered approach to screening when filling a vacancy is the best way to secure a reliable tenant. This strategy begins with pre-screening your rental applicants with an online platform like SingleKey. You’ll reveal important details, like a person’s employment status and income, and arm yourself with all the information you need to decide who to move forward in your tenant screening process.
For more advice on what to look for when choosing a new tenant, check out this article on How to Screen Like a Pro.
