How to Screen a Tenant Before You Hand Over the Keys
By MagpaUpa · 7 min read
Short answer
- Ask only for what you need: one valid ID, proof of income or employment, and the contact details of their previous landlord.
- The best predictor of how someone will rent from you is how they rented from somebody else — call the previous landlord, not the character reference they chose.
- Apply the same standard to every applicant. Screening on origin, religion, sex, civil status or disability is wrong and exposes you to a complaint.
- Keep ID copies somewhere secure and delete them once they are no longer needed — whatever you hold, you are answerable for.
- Slow screening is cheaper than fast eviction: a few days of waiting against several months of trouble.
The most expensive mistake in a rental is not a vacant unit. It is the wrong tenant inside the unit. A vacancy costs you one month of income. The wrong tenant can cost you several months of unpaid upa, damage, and an eviction process you never asked for.
Screening is not distrust. It is work, and it has a method.
What to ask for
Keep the list short and identical for everyone:
- One valid ID with a photo. Record the type and number, and keep a clear copy.
- Proof of income or employment. A certificate of employment, payslips, or for the self-employed, a permit or bank statement. A common yardstick: rent should not exceed a third of monthly income.
- The previous landlord's contact. Not the character reference they picked — the person they actually rented from.
- Who else is moving in. How many and who, because it belongs in the contract and in the house rules.
If a tenant or an occupant is under eighteen, you need a parent or guardian signing alongside them. This is common in bedspace and dorms near schools — see our guide to bedspace and dorms.
The one call worth making
Call the previous landlord. Not a text message, a call. Four questions:
- When did they rent from you, and until when?
- Did they pay on time?
- How did they leave the unit?
- Would you rent to them again?
The fourth is the one that matters. Hesitation in the answer tells you more than the answer does.
Watch for an old trick: the number given belongs to a friend, not a landlord. If you can, look up the listing yourself, or ask for the subdivision name and see whether it matches what they told you.
What to ask the applicant
In person or on the phone, keep it plain:
- Why are you moving, and when do you need the unit?
- Who will be living here?
- Where do you work or study, and how far is it from here?
- Any pets? Any vehicle that needs parking?
- How long a term are you looking for?
Notice how they answer, not just what they answer. Someone who asks careful questions about the rules and the charges is usually a careful tenant.
Red flags
None of these is automatically a refusal, but every one of them is a reason to ask more:
- Unwilling to provide an ID or a previous landlord's contact
- In a great hurry to sign and move "tomorrow" with no explanation
- Offering a large amount of cash up front in exchange for fewer questions
- A story that does not match the documents — a different employer than the payslip
- Wanting to pay in someone else's name with no reason given
- Unwilling to sign a contract or to accept written rules
The last one is the clearest. Someone who does not want anything in writing has a reason.
A consistent policy protects you too
Write down one standard and apply it to everyone: the same documents, the same income test, the same questions.
Choosing on the basis of origin, religion, sex, civil status or disability is wrong and can put you on the receiving end of a complaint. The defensible basis is ability to pay, rental history, and whether the unit suits the number of occupants.
Look after the documents you collect
The moment you take a copy of an ID, you are answerable for it. A simple policy:
- Keep it somewhere secure — not in a group chat, not in your phone gallery
- Do not pass it on to anyone without a reason
- Delete the copies of applicants you turned down once you have chosen
- For the tenant you accepted, keep it for the tenancy and according to your own retention rule
If a tenant asks what you hold about them, answer honestly. They are entitled to know.
After screening
Once you have chosen: contract first, keys second. Put everything you agreed into the lease contract — amount, deposit and advance, number of occupants, pets, parking, move-in date. Photograph the unit on move-in day. That is your baseline at the end.
How MagpaUpa helps
In MagpaUpa each tenant has their own record: contact details, ID type and number, emergency contact, and a guardian where the tenant is a minor — so the contract is complete when you generate it. ID scans sit in private storage rather than in your phone gallery, and every view is logged with who looked and when. When the tenancy ends you can delete the file, and the record that it was deleted remains. Try MagpaUpa.
Frequently asked questions
What documents should I ask a prospective tenant for?
One valid photo ID, proof of income or employment, and the contact details of their previous landlord. If others are moving in, find out how many and who, because it belongs in the contract.
How do I know if an applicant will be a good tenant?
Call the previous landlord and ask whether they paid on time, how they left the unit, and whether they would rent to them again. The last question gives you the clearest answer.
Can I refuse a tenant?
Yes, on grounds of ability to pay, rental history, or whether the unit suits the number of occupants. Refusing on the basis of origin, religion, sex, civil status or disability is wrong and risky.
What should I do with ID copies from applicants I rejected?
Delete them once you have chosen a tenant. While you hold them you are answerable for them, so keep them secure and never pass them on without a reason.
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