How to Screen Rental Residents the Right Way in Riverside, California (2025 Guide)

How to Screen Rental Residents the Right Way in Riverside, California (2025 Guide)

By Brian Bean | Dream Big Property Management

If you own a rental property in Southern California, resident screening is the single most important step you can take to protect your investment. It directly impacts your income, your property’s condition, and your peace of mind. But to do it right, you need to follow California’s screening laws—and you need to do it fairly and consistently.

In this guide, we’ll break down the screening process we use at Dream Big Property Management, based in Riverside, California. Whether you’re a DIY landlord or just want to understand how placement decisions are made, this will help you stay compliant and make better, more intentional choices.

Why Screening Matters

Placing the wrong resident can cost you tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent, legal fees, property damage, and stress. But placing the right resident? That leads to on-time rent, lease compliance, better communication, and a stronger investment experience overall.

It all starts with proper screening.

California Tenant Screening Laws (2025)

Before we dive into the steps, here are key legal guidelines you must follow:

• Fair Housing Compliance – You cannot screen or reject applicants based on race, gender, religion, disability, family status, source of income (including Section 8), or immigration status, among other factors.
• Written Screening Criteria (Civil Code §1950.6) – With the passage of new legislation, landlords must disclose rental qualifications in writing in their marketing information or with their applications, before accepting applications. This is to provide property transparency to applicants about what qualifications they must meet to be approved.
• Application Fee Limits – California limits application fees to ~$65 per applicant in 2025. In many cases, landlords also must refund full or partial fees for to applicants who were not selected. (Dream Big Property Management does not charge application fees, to reduce barriers and encourage more applicants.)

Our 6-Step Screening Process

Step 1: The Application

Our online rental application collects all pertinent identifying information and history for an applicant, age 19 or older. But we also specifically request:

• 10 years of rental history
• Employment and income details
• Personal references
• An applicant-supplied copy of a recent credit check from a major reporting bureau.

Step 2: Credit Check

We don’t use a minimum credit score cutoff. But, from the applicants’ credit reports, we look for:

• History of on-time payments
• No more than 4 collection accounts
• No more than $1,000 in non-medical collections

Step 3: Background Check

If the applicant passes the pre-screening evaluation of their credit report, we will pull our own copy of a full background check.

• We review recent and relevant criminal convictions, focusing on offenses related to people or property.
• Evictions are an automatic disqualification (unless related to domestic violence or threats to the occupant)

Step 4: Income & Employment

Applicants must show:

• Gross income of 3x rent, or
• Net income of 2x rent plus any recurring consumer debt payments

As proof of income, we can accept:

• 60 days of pay stubs
• 2 years of W-2s
• Income award or job offer letters
• 3 months of bank statements (all pages)
• For self-employed applicants:
  • 2 years of personal tax returns + 6 months of bank statements
• A bank statement that shows enough funds to cover all move-in costs.
• We contact employers to confirm current work status

Step 5: Landlord References

We ask current and previous landlords (as far back as 10 years) for their experience with an applicant:

• Did the applicant pay rent on time?
• Did they maintain the property?
• Did they follow the lease terms?
• Did they follow the lease terms?
• Were there any complaints about them from other residents?
• Did they have pets?
• Would you rent to them again?

Step 6: Pets & Assistance Animals

• If pets are allowed, we ask about breed, size, age, bite history, and vet records, among other factors.
• Service animals and emotional support animals are not considered pets and may not be denied. In those cases, we use a third-party service to collect and verify documentation.

Red Flags to Watch For

• Incomplete applications
• Eviction history
• Pattern of short-term tenancies
• Faked documentation (especially pay stubs, which have become more common). Document fraud detection tools are a must in today’s environment.

Final Thoughts

Finding, screening, and placing the right resident is the most crucial — and often most difficult — part of property management. But when done right, it leads to better outcomes:

• On-time rent
• Long-term tenancy
• Less stress
• Fewer vacancies
• More predictable returns

At Dream Big, we believe great residents don’t happen by accident. They’re the result of a clear, fair, and intentional screening process.

Have Questions?

If you have questions about screening rental applicants, or if you’d like help finding tools to screen residents fairly, we’re happy to help.

Call Brian at 951-314-5402,  or visit DreamBigPM.com

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