Tenant Screening

Finding the Best Tenant for Your Fort Worth InvestmentTexas Broker License #9002351

At 1st Choice Property Management, our goal is to place the right tenant, not just the fastest one. A well-qualified tenant protects your home, pays on time, reduces turnover, and supports the long-term performance of your investment.

Our screening process is comprehensive and structured. We look far beyond credit scores to evaluate the entire applicant profile - including rental history, income stability, background checks, identification, and overall reliability.

This screening system has been refined over 30+ years in the Fort Worth rental market, and has proven to be extremely successful at reducing risk and increasing tenant longevity.

Credit Criteria

We use Experian to obtain a full credit report for every applicant. Reports from applicants or other third-party providers are not accepted.

Our credit evaluation includes:

• We obtain an Experian credit report for each adult applicant.
• The security deposit amount is determined by the applicant’s actual credit score.
• Applications with a score below 500 will be automatically denied.
• Any open Federal Tax Lien will result in an automatic denial.
• Bankruptcy status and age will determine whether the applicant is accepted with an increased deposit or denied.
• Credit reports must come directly from our screening provider; outside reports are not accepted.

Rental History Criteria

Past rental behavior is one of the strongest indicators of future tenant performance. We verify rental history directly with landlords and do not accept verifications from family members.

Rental history issues that may cause denial or increased deposit:

• Automatic denial: Eviction, broken lease, or judgment within the last 5 years.
• Possible denial or increased deposit: Outstanding balances owed to a previous landlord that are more than 5 years old.
• No rental verification will be accepted from family members or relatives.

Income Criteria

Income stability ensures the tenant can comfortably meet monthly rent obligations.

Income requirements:

• One applicant must show gross income of at least 3 times the monthly rent.
• We will combine up to two gross monthly incomes to reach 3.5 times monthly rent (combined income must come from occupants; we do not accept guarantors).
• Income must be verified using:
  • Employer HR verification
  • Pay stubs (prior month) with year-to-date totals
• Self-employed applicants must provide 2 years of tax returns showing Adjusted Gross Income that meets or exceeds the requirement. No exceptions.
• Unverifiable income will not be considered.

Identification Requirements

A valid government-issued photo ID must be provided at the time the lease application is submitted. Each adult 18 years or older must submit their own ID and complete an application.

Criminal Background Check & Screening Policy

We run a full criminal background check on every adult applicant.

• Having a felony is not an automatic rejection; however: Convictions involving harm to a person or destruction of property result in automatic denial.
• Additional criminal history may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in alignment with fair housing standards.