Lately I haven't had many sub 600 FICO score applicants.

What is my lowest acceptable score? I don't have a FICO score based screen but I would expect 660 is the lowest that I have approved in the last 3 years.

As for the cure to unqualified thugs wasting my time: I use an automated- text based -lock box showings- automated application system and all calls go to voicemail. The thugs won't spend the money to apply- they can see it would be hopeless.

People who have never paid anyone as agreed are the same people who text me their phone number pleading with me to call them, they text that they have the money right now.

In my market, I can't screen for credit. Anyone who's responsible with their money can buy a turnkey house for $40-$60k. So that leaves... everyone else for my tenant pool. Instead, I screen on income and criminal, and look for other signs of stability when I can.

If I was in Dallas/Fort Worth/Austin/Houston, I'd be able to screen much differently. In those sorts of places, there are a lot of people coming into the areas for work who would normally be able to buy a house, no problem. But they know they won't be in the area long enough to tie themselves down with a house they may or may not be able to sell. So they choose the flexibility of being able to rent: they'll be able to go where life takes them at the end of their lease, or with 30 days' notice, or whatever they bind themselves to. My market, on the other hand, has a very stagnant population. There's nothing that draws a steady flux of people in and out of my territory, so that strata-- would-be homeowners with good jobs and good credit who want the flexibility from being tenants-- doesn't exist here.

So you adapt your screening to your local environment. If there is something like a university, or a military base, or a big hospital, or a large employer that people use as a temporary rung up the ladder but don't make a career out of--- target those sorts of people.

At the same time, take a critical look at your house. Where is it? Is there anything objectionable nearby that a decent, stable person with a steady, well-paying job, and possibly a family, would be deterred by? How's the house? How's the neighbors? How's the street? How's the neighborhood? etc.

6,

Good credit is great. Bad score is a red flag.

But if they have good credit they don’t need me. They can buy a house for less per month with ez mortgages than my rent.

Many people who are great renters have lousy scores. The score is created by a computer based on credit cards, car loans, medical bills, and does not reflect their ability to pay rent and care for my house.

Consider the mature couple who truly understand to pay their bills, rent comes first, pay their bills and rent with cash. Ideal renters but low to no credit score.

We DO use reports to check for collections, compare addresses to their app, compare their history to their story (child with medical bills), bankruptcies, etc.

We ise credit reports as ome of several tools to screen applications.

The problem with the numbers, 500, 600, 700, is that it focuses on the past.

Let's say you want to accept 700 and up only. Well, one time in the hospital, one firing from a good paying job - and your T goes from 700 to 500.

Some 12 years ago, a young man came to a rental I was renovating and asked if he could rent it. He said that he was tired of filling applications and getting rejected. The reason was: he spent time.

Today, he still lives there and manages a prosperous car service/repair shop, he is basically the owner's right hand.

I look to see what is the credit issue. If it is multiple utilities,phones,etc-no. Hospital I can be somewhat lenient on but depends on how many,etc. We had someone with 3 pages of medical-some with amounts less than $100.

I look at current job (yes,people can lose their jobs and there is the Shutdown). I check criminal background personally as well. I verify who owns the addressses they put on the app. Lie to me once and you might get away with it-lie twice and it is over.

I run several credit reports from different sources to get varied FICO scores. Many applicants have low scores due to unpaid health care. Medical coverage is such a racket that a patient can get billed twice for the same charge and sent to collections without asking patient for payment. They try to collect twice from the dumb insurance carriers.

If your place is near a university, you might be in luck. Every year if not throughout the year, students need reasonably priced and safe places to live near campus. You could even think about advertising to grad students and post-docs if you would like someone older than 22. If you provide landscaping services, you could increase the rent accordingly to cover that cost.

Credit scores matter but they don't always tell the entire story. You have to look at long term trends.

The scores I accept depend on the place that I have.