The application scorecard we use across 10,000+ applicants

After processing more than 10,000 applications, we settled on a 100 point scorecard. It is simple enough to complete in ten minutes, structured enough to hold up in court, and predictive enough to reduce our eviction rate below 1 percent. Owners who adopt it universally report faster decisions and fewer regretful approvals.

The weights

• Credit: 25 points
• Income and employment: 30 points
• Rental or ownership history: 30 points
• Application quality and character references: 15 points

Notice: credit is worth less than income or rental history. Credit scores measure how you handle debt. Rental history measures how you handle a landlord. For single-family rentals, the second predicts the first. An applicant with 640 credit and glowing landlord references outperforms an applicant with 780 credit and one prior landlord who will not return calls.

Credit (25 points)

• 720+: 25
• 680 to 719: 22
• 640 to 679: 18
• 620 to 639: 12
• 580 to 619: 6 (conditional approval only)
• Below 580: 0 (automatic denial)

Subtract 3 points for any collection over $500 excluding medical. Subtract 5 for a bankruptcy in the last 3 years. Do not subtract for medical collections, student loans in deferment, or authorized-user tradelines that are not the applicant's own.

Income (30 points)

• 4x rent or higher: 30
• 3.5x to 3.99x: 26
• 3.0x to 3.49x: 22
• 2.75x to 2.99x: 12 (conditional)
• Below 2.75x: 0 (automatic denial)

Add 2 points for 3+ years at the same employer. Subtract 4 for a job start date within 30 days of application (probationary period). For self-employed applicants, average the last 24 months of bank deposits, not the last 3.

Rental history (30 points)

• 3+ years verifiable, no issues: 30
• 2 to 3 years, no issues: 25
• 1 to 2 years, no issues: 18
• First-time renter, strong co-signer: 15
• Any late payments in the last 24 months: subtract 2 per late
• Any prior eviction in 7 years: 0 (automatic denial)

The single most predictive question to ask a prior landlord is: would you rent to this tenant again? Any hesitation is your answer. A yes with enthusiasm is worth more than the numeric score.

Application quality (15 points)

• Complete application, no blank fields: 5
• Clear, professional communication throughout: 3
• Two solid character or employer references: 4
• Responded to follow-up requests within 24 hours: 3

This category is not about likability. It is about signal. An applicant who ignores a follow-up request during the courtship phase will ignore your maintenance calls during the tenancy. Application quality predicts tenancy quality.

Scoring bands

• 85 to 100: Approve. Send lease within 24 hours.
• 70 to 84: Approve with standard terms.
• 60 to 69: Conditional approval. Larger deposit, co-signer, or shorter initial lease.
• Below 60: Deny.

The conditional approval playbook

A conditional approval is a real approval with real terms, not a maybe. The conditions are calibrated to the specific gap in the score. Thin credit gets an additional half-month deposit. A short work tenure gets a co-signer or a 6-month initial lease. State the condition, get written acceptance, and only then send the lease.

Common scoring mistakes

• Rounding up because you like the applicant.
• Ignoring one late payment because the applicant explained it well.
• Treating a co-signer as an add-on rather than the required condition.
• Skipping the landlord verification call because the paper looks good.

Every one of these produces a preventable eviction six months later. The scorecard works if you apply it as written. It fails if you use it as a suggestion.