How to accept or deny an applicant

From the Applications tab you can send an acceptance, a conditional acceptance, or a denial. Each delivers a professional result email to the applicant, and where federal law requires an adverse action notice, RentSpree generates the letter from the reasons you select.

Step 1: Review the applicant

Open the Applications tab and select the applicant’s name. The Summary view puts everything in one place: application, credit report, background check, eviction history, income verification, and references. Most landlords look for income of at least 3 times the rent alongside solid rental history; a credit score alone rarely tells the whole story. Apply the same documented criteria to every applicant. Consistent standards are your best protection under fair housing law.

Step 2: Choose your decision

Select Make decision in the right panel, or use the ⋮ menu next to the applicant’s row. Three options appear:

Accept

A congratulatory email goes to the applicant with your contact information and next steps. Review the draft and select Send.

Accept on condition

For approvals with added requirements, like a higher security deposit, a co-signer, or prepaid rent. Because the decision rests partly on screening report information, federal law requires an adverse action notice. Agree to the disclaimer, describe your conditions, and select the reasons for your decision, including the Resident Score and the date you accessed it if the score was a factor. Select Next, review the generated email, and Send.

Deny

The same flow: select your reasons, preview the adverse action letter, and send.

Step 3: Send

The applicant receives the email at the address on file, and you’re copied by BCC.

What’s next

After accepting, set up the lease and rent collection: select Set up payments from the ⋮ menu, or head to the Lease tab to send the lease for signature.