One applicant qualifies on their own - let other one live there as "occupant"?

[Kimberly T.]

Curious what other landlords do in this situation. Someone applies for a unit you have for rent, and meets all your qualifications (income, credit, rental history, etc.), but wants their friend/significant other to live with them. How do you handle that extra person, typically? Just make sure they're not a felon, then list them as an "occupant" and you don't have them sign the lease? Or do you run the same credit/income checks on them even though you don't need to count their income, then only accept them if they meet all the same standards (credit score, etc.) and list them as a "tenant" and you have them sign the lease?

If the friend doesn't meet, say, your credit cut-off, would you be ok listing them as an occupant only, and they don't sign the lease?

The reason I ask is that I've been told that if they're listed as an occupant and the "tenant" (the one you approved via income, credit, etc.) wants to move out, then the occupant doesn't have any tenancy rights to the unit and must also move out.

I've heard of all of the above options from different landlords, curious what the BP community has to say!