You've done the screening. Now turn data into a confident decision.
In competitive markets, several applicants may meet your criteria. Choosing based on who you "liked more" is legally risky and wastes the data you collected. Use a scoring system that ranks applicants numerically across categories: income strength, rental history, credit, employment stability, and reference quality. Highest total score gets the offer. Ties broken by application date.
Real applicants don't score perfectly everywhere. You'll face tradeoffs. For most small landlords, priority order is income stability first, rental history second, everything else third. An applicant strong on the top two and adequate elsewhere is almost always better than one who scores well on secondary factors but is borderline on income or history.
Some applicants fall in a middle zone. Not strong enough for unconditional approval, not weak enough for denial. Options include requiring a co-signer, larger security deposit where legal, shorter initial lease term, or first and last month's rent at signing. Apply conditions consistently to all borderline applicants.
The decision culminates everything in your process: application data, red flag assessment, and avoidance of mistakes. For tools to streamline decisions, explore these landlord resources.
Notify the chosen applicant promptly and get the lease signed quickly. Good tenants have options. For denied applicants, provide the required adverse action notice if credit or background data was used. Document your decision, reasoning, and score comparison. Follow the legal requirements every time.