Who you put in the house is the single largest controllable variable in a rental return. Everything else — rent, maintenance, financing — is arithmetic you can model. Tenant selection is the one that decides whether the model holds.
The mistake owners make is thinking screening means being strict. It does not. It means being consistent, and being able to prove it.
How we screen
- Published, written criteria. Income threshold, credit floor, rental history requirements, and how we treat criminal and eviction records are written down before anyone applies, and they are the same for every applicant on every property.
- Identity and income verification. We verify income against documentation rather than accepting a stated figure, and we calculate it the same way every time — including non-wage income such as BAH for applicants near Wright-Patterson.
- Credit report and score. Pulled on every adult applicant, read for pattern rather than for a single number.
- Rental history. Prior landlords contacted, with attention to whether the reference is an actual landlord or a friend with a phone.
- Criminal and eviction search, assessed individually against our written criteria rather than as an automatic bar.
- A documented decision. Every approval and denial is recorded against the stated criteria, with the reason.
Why consistency matters more than strictness
Fair housing law does not require you to accept everyone. It requires you not to treat people differently based on protected characteristics — race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability under federal law, with additional protected classes in some jurisdictions.
The danger for a small landlord is almost never deliberate discrimination. It is inconsistency. Making an exception for one applicant because they seemed nice, and not for another, creates a disparity you cannot explain later. If you cannot articulate the criterion you applied, you cannot defend the decision.
Written criteria applied identically protects you twice: it produces better tenants, and it produces a defensible record. We keep that record.
We are not attorneys and this is not legal advice. If you have a specific fair housing question, talk to one.
What we actually look for
Pattern beats snapshot. An applicant with a rough credit period two years ago and clean payment history since is frequently a better bet than one with a thinner but unblemished file. A history of paying rent on time, to an actual landlord, who will confirm it, is the strongest single signal available.
We also weigh stability of the situation, not just the numbers — how long they intend to stay, whether the property genuinely fits the household, and whether the rent is a sustainable share of real income. A tenant stretched to the edge on day one is a delinquency in month five.
What this costs you
Screening is included in management. There is no separate screening fee on our fee schedule — it is part of the $750 leasing fee when we place a tenant.
Questions
Can I set my own criteria?
Within legal limits and within reason, yes — and we will tell you if a criterion you want creates fair housing exposure. What we will not do is apply criteria inconsistently between applicants, because that is where the risk actually lives.
Do you accept housing choice vouchers?
Yes, and there is a whole process to it. See Section 8 and housing vouchers.
How long does screening take?
Usually one to three business days once a complete application is in. Incomplete applications are the delay, not the screening.
What if I disagree with an approval?
You set the criteria with us up front. Once an applicant meets agreed criteria, declining them individually is exactly the inconsistency that creates exposure, so we would talk it through before it becomes a problem.
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Rather talk? Call 937-999-3890 or email hello@daytonproper.com. Our office is at 729 Salem Ave, Dayton, OH 45406.