What Our Screening Service Includes
This page covers how we deliver tenant background and credit screening for owners in Seminole, Volusia, and the Orlando area, and what you receive at the end of it. It is one part of our Tenant Screening & Placement service. Each adult applicant is run through the same six checks:
- Credit history review. We read the full report for payment patterns, collections, and unpaid rent or utility balances, not only the score.
- Income qualification. Stated income is compared with the monthly rent for your home and backed by recent pay stubs or bank statements.
- Employment verification. We confirm the job with the employer directly, using a number we look up ourselves.
- Landlord references. Prior landlords are asked about on-time payment, the condition of the home at move-out, and whether they would rent to the applicant again.
- Eviction records. A nationwide eviction search, checked against the public case records of the county clerk where the applicant has lived locally.
- Criminal background review. A nationwide background check, reviewed individually rather than through a blanket rule.
How It Works, From Application to Signed Lease
- Criteria first. Before your home is listed, the qualification standards are set in writing so every applicant is measured the same way.
- Online application. Interested renters apply through our online tenant application and give written consent for the credit and background reports.
- Reports and verification. We pull the reports, then verify income and employment at the source instead of accepting documents at face value.
- References and records. Prior landlords are contacted and local eviction filings are checked.
- Decision. The application is approved or declined against the written criteria. A declined applicant receives the notice federal law requires when a report played a part.
- Lease and move-in. The approved tenant signs an attorney-prepared, Florida-compliant lease. We collect the first rent and deposit and complete a move-in walkthrough with photo documentation.
The Florida Law That Shapes How We Screen
Florida’s Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to refuse to rent, or to set different terms or conditions for a rental, because of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or religion (Fla. Stat. 760.23(1) and (2)). The same section treats a refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, or practices for a person with a disability as discrimination (760.23(9)(b)), so a screening policy has to leave room for those requests.
Owners sometimes assume they fall under the small-landlord exemption. Under Fla. Stat. 760.29(1)(a), an individual who owns no more than three single-family houses can be exempt from 760.23, but only when the house is rented without the use in any manner of a real estate licensee’s rental services. Everyday Property Management is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage, so once we handle your leasing, that exemption no longer applies and the law covers every application. That is the practical reason our criteria are written down and applied identically: it protects you as much as it protects the applicant.
What You Get as the Owner, and What It Costs
At the end of the process you have one approved tenant, a signed attorney-prepared lease with the required Florida disclosures, the first rent and deposit collected, and a photo-documented record of the home’s condition at move-in. Screening is not billed separately. It is included in the Tenant Placement Package, a one-time leasing commission of half a month’s rent, as listed on our pricing page. If a tenant we place breaks the lease or must be removed within the first 12 months, we find a replacement at no additional leasing charge. That guarantee is the reason we screen strictly: a weak placement costs us as well as you.
If you are still weighing whether screening is something to handle yourself, our Q&A on how property managers screen tenants walks through the general process and the federal rules behind it. This page is about how we run it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tenant screening included in the placement fee?
Yes. Background and credit screening is part of our Tenant Placement Package, a one-time leasing commission of half a month’s rent. It is not billed to the owner as a separate line item.
Does Florida’s small-landlord fair housing exemption apply if I use a property manager?
No. Fla. Stat. 760.29(1)(a) exempts an individual owner of no more than three single-family houses only when the home is rented without the use in any manner of a real estate licensee’s rental services. When a licensed brokerage such as ours handles the leasing, Fla. Stat. 760.23 applies to every application.
What happens if a tenant you screened breaks the lease early?
Our 12-month tenant guarantee covers it. If a tenant we place breaks the lease or must be removed within the first 12 months, we find a qualified replacement at no additional leasing charge.
Have Your Next Applicant Screened by Our Team
If your rental is coming open, we can list it, screen every applicant with the process above, and place a tenant backed by our 12-month guarantee. Call (407) 907-2933 to speak with Nicholas, our licensed broker, or send us a note below.
