Screening New Tenants

[Kathy Anschutz]

I am a new landlord and rented my property 1x so far for 6 months to someone I know and work with that did not turn out well at all - I was completely scammed I convinced him into leaving my property without going through the eviction process and he took care of the house as in keeping it in good condition.  Lesson learned.  I am presently taking applications for a new tenant and going through the screening process - my 1st prospect did not pay the $25 app fee but provided me the 1st page of their credit report of 702 & 709 credit scores and provided their SSN and all the other necessary contact information.  The guide I read How to Rent your house - says that's a deal breaker so move on - so my questions is once there is a miss step from the guide is this the best way to eliminate potential renters or should I call this person and say hey your forgot to pay me the $25 so I can't run your background check?  I have 3 more paid apps on hand with other issues as well.   Looking for feedback to make sure I fully understand the process - appreciate your response!