Tenant Screening Criteria

Last updated: April 2026

This page lists the criteria we use to evaluate every rental application. Per RCW 59.18.257, Washington State requires landlords to provide their full screening criteria before charging an application fee. By submitting an application, you acknowledge that you have had a chance to review these criteria.

Application fee

$54 per adult occupant (age 18 or older). This covers the actual cost of the credit, criminal, and civil-records background checks plus our processing time. Fees are non-refundable once the screening has been ordered. We do not charge a separate "holding fee" or "good-faith deposit" until an application is approved and a lease is offered.

Reusable tenant screening report (your option)

Per RCW 59.18.257, you have the right to provide a reusable tenant screening report in lieu of paying our application fee, if the report meets these requirements:

• It was prepared by a consumer reporting agency (e.g., RentSpree, TransUnion SmartMove, MyRental, Experian RentBureau).
• It was prepared within the last 30 days at the applicant's request.
• It is made directly available to us by the consumer reporting agency, or via a secure portal you control, so we can verify authenticity.
• It contains, at minimum: a credit report, an eviction-history check, and a national criminal background check.

If your reusable report meets these conditions, we will accept it and waive our $54 application fee. Email a link or PDF to dreierpropertymanagement@gmail.com when you submit your application.

What we evaluate

Income

• Verifiable monthly gross household income of at least 2.5 times the monthly rent.
• Acceptable sources include wages, salary, Social Security, retirement income, child support, alimony, scholarships and stipends, Section 8 / Housing Choice Vouchers, VASH, SSI/SSDI, and any other lawful and verifiable income.
• If you receive a rental subsidy, only the tenant-paid portion of the rent is compared to the income standard.
• Common verification documents: two recent pay stubs, an offer letter, three months of bank statements, the most recent year's tax return, or an award letter for benefits.

Credit

• We review the credit report for patterns of late payment, accounts in collection, and unpaid utility or rental balances.
• We do not use a single credit-score cutoff. Limited credit history is not, by itself, grounds for denial.
• Recent open bankruptcies (within the last 12 months) and unpaid balances owed to a previous landlord may result in denial or in a request for a higher security deposit, additional months' rent up front, or a co-signer.

Rental history

• Two years of verifiable rental history is preferred, with one previous landlord reference.
• No prior evictions on record. An unlawful-detainer filing that was dismissed or sealed is not, by itself, grounds for denial.
• First-time renters and applicants with non-traditional rental history (family situations, dorm housing, etc.) are welcome — please tell us about your situation in your application.

Employment

• Six months of stable employment, self-employment, or other consistent income source is preferred. We may contact your employer to verify employment dates and income.
• Recent job changes, gig work, and seasonal employment are reviewed in context, not used as automatic disqualifiers.

Criminal history

• We conduct an individualized assessment as required by HUD guidance and RCW 59.18.
• Arrests that did not result in a conviction are not considered.
• Most non-violent offenses more than seven years old are not considered.
• Convictions for violent offenses, the manufacture or distribution of controlled substances, sex offenses requiring registration, and similar offenses may result in denial. We weigh recency, severity, evidence of rehabilitation, and the relevance to tenancy.

Pets

Pet policy is set per property and stated on each listing. Service animals and emotional-support / assistance animals are not pets and are allowed at all our properties, with no pet rent or pet deposit, consistent with the federal Fair Housing Act.

If your application is denied

If we take an adverse action (denial, requiring a higher deposit, or requiring a co-signer) based wholly or in part on a consumer report, we will provide written notice including:

• The name and contact information of the consumer reporting agency that provided the report.
• A statement that the consumer reporting agency did not make the decision and cannot give specific reasons for it.
• Your right to obtain a free copy of the report from the consumer reporting agency within 60 days.
• Your right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information directly with the consumer reporting agency.

This is required by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 USC §1681m).

Order of consideration

We evaluate complete applications in the order they are received. Submitting an application before all required documents are provided does not reserve your spot — we begin processing once the application is complete.

Questions

Email dreierpropertymanagement@gmail.com or call/text (206) 227-4158 with any questions about these criteria before applying.