To get approved for a rental property, you generally need to show gross monthly income of at least three times the rent, a credit history without major red flags, a clean record with past landlords, and a complete application packet submitted with the required fee. Landlords use the same core filters almost everywhere in the United States, though the thresholds and some legal protections vary by state and city.
Income and Credit Thresholds Landlords Use
The most common income rule is three times the monthly rent, measured in gross earnings. A $2,000 unit usually calls for at least $6,000 a month in gross income. This is an industry guideline, not a law. Some landlords in expensive markets drop the ratio to 2.5 times; others push it to 3.5.
Credit matters almost as much as income. A score below 620 often triggers a larger security deposit requirement, a co-signer request, or an outright denial. Scores above 670 put you in a comfortable range at most properties, though each landlord sets their own cutoff. Credit reports used for tenant screening are regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681 – Congressional Findings and Statement of Purpose
Check your own credit before you apply. Every consumer is entitled to a free report each year from each nationwide credit bureau and from nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act Looking at your reports first gives you time to fix errors before a landlord sees them.
What the Background Check Covers
A tenant background check typically pulls your work and income history, credit accounts and payment history, housing court records tied to past evictions, criminal records, and any bankruptcies.3Consumer Advice – FTC. Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights
Eviction Records
An eviction is one of the fastest routes to a denial. Screening companies can report eviction-related court records for up to seven years from the date of entry under the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s general limit on negative information.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c – Requirements Relating to Information Contained in Consumer Reports Bankruptcies can be reported for up to ten years. Criminal convictions have no reporting time limit.3Consumer Advice – FTC. Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights If you have an older eviction on your record, raise it before the landlord finds it; being upfront and pointing to stronger recent rental history often lands better than silence.
Criminal History
Landlords commonly run criminal background checks, but they are not supposed to apply blanket bans. HUD guidance says policies that automatically reject anyone with any conviction are unlikely to survive a Fair Housing Act challenge, and landlords should instead weigh the nature and severity of the offense, how long ago it happened, and evidence of rehabilitation or a solid rental history since.5U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Implementation of OGC Guidance on Application of FHA Standards to the Use of Criminal Records
Rental References
Expect the landlord to call your previous landlords and ask about payment history, how you treated the unit, and whether you honored the lease. If this is your first apartment, employer or professional references can fill the gap. Give your references a heads-up before you apply so they’re not caught off guard by the call.
Documents to Have Ready Before You Apply
Having everything collected in advance prevents the slow back-and-forth that costs people apartments. Most applications want:
- Proof of income: at least two recent pay stubs or a W-2 if you’re a traditional employee; two years of tax returns or 1099s if you’re self-employed.
- Government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
- Social Security number for the credit and background check. Many landlords accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number instead if you don’t have an SSN.
- Rental history: previous landlords’ names, addresses, and phone numbers, with dates and reasons for leaving.
- Employment details: current and past employers with supervisor contacts.
- Information for every adult who will live in the unit, since each one typically has to submit ID for a background check.
Fill every field accurately. Mismatches between what you write and what the screening reports will sink an otherwise fine application.
How the Application Process Works
Most management companies take applications through online portals; some independent landlords still use paper. You’ll pay a non-refundable application fee at submission, usually around $30 to $75 per adult, though some states cap fees at the landlord’s actual screening cost.
Processing normally takes one to three business days while the property manager verifies your income, pulls credit and background reports, and calls your references. The usual cause of delay is slow references, which is why the heads-up call matters.
Approval notices often come with a deadline for signing the lease and paying the deposit. Miss it and the landlord may move to the next applicant on the list.
If You Don’t Qualify on Your Own
Falling short on income or credit doesn’t automatically end things. Options include adding a co-signer, a guarantor, or offering a larger deposit.
- A co-signer signs the lease with you and is on the hook as soon as a payment is late.
- A guarantor steps in only if you default on the lease more completely, not for a single missed month.
Either way, that person goes through the same screening you do. Landlords often require a guarantor to earn well above the standard three-times-rent threshold — in competitive urban markets, sometimes 80 to 100 times the monthly rent in annual income. A larger security deposit is another route some landlords offer when credit or income falls just below the cutoff.
What You’ll Pay at Move-In
Approval is only part of the money picture. Before you get keys, budget for:
- Application fee of roughly $30 to $75 per adult, almost always non-refundable.
- Security deposit, typically capped by state law at one to two months’ rent, though some states allow more and a few set no limit. You get this back at move-out minus deductions for damage beyond normal wear and tear, and landlords are generally required to provide an itemized list of any deductions.
- First month’s rent at lease signing. Some landlords also want last month’s rent upfront.
- Move-in fee at some properties, often 30 to 50 percent of a month’s rent, covering turnover costs like rekeying and cleaning.
Added up, you may need two to four months’ worth of rent on hand before move-in day. Ask for a complete written breakdown before you sign.
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial based on information in a consumer report triggers specific federal rights. The landlord must give you an adverse action notice.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports That notice must include:
- The name, address, and phone number of the screening company that provided the report.
- A statement that the screening company didn’t make the denial decision.
- Your right to a free copy of the report within 60 days.
- Your right to dispute inaccurate information.
If something in the report is wrong — a debt that isn’t yours, an eviction you weren’t a party to, an item that should have aged off — file a dispute with the screening company. The company generally has 30 days to investigate and must send you the results in writing.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Should I Do If My Rental Application Is Denied Because of a Tenant Screening Report Once corrected, you can ask the company to send an updated report to the landlord or reapply with the fix in hand.
Protections That Can Affect Approval
A few legal protections sit alongside the standard screening process and can change what a landlord is allowed to do.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits refusing to rent based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin, and bars discrimination based on disability, including the refusal to make reasonable accommodations.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing and Other Prohibited Practices Landlords are supposed to apply the same income thresholds, credit minimums, and background policies to every applicant.
Federal law does not broadly bar landlords from rejecting housing choice voucher holders. Roughly half the states and the District of Columbia, plus over 150 cities and counties elsewhere, have passed source of income protections, many of which explicitly cover vouchers.9Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development. Public Housing Authorities and Source of Income Discrimination Check your state and city rules before applying with a voucher.
If you have a disability and need a service animal or emotional support animal, a landlord’s no-pet policy doesn’t apply to you. Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords must grant reasonable accommodations for assistance animals when the request is supported by reliable information about the disability-related need, and they cannot charge a pet deposit, pet fee, or pet rent for the animal.10U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fact Sheet on HUD’s Assistance Animals Notice You remain responsible for any damage the animal causes.