Steps to Screen and Rent?

[Dave Holman]

I'm closing on a single family investment property in a few weeks and have a bunch of people interested in renting it due to a Craigslist ad with no photos (we're replacing kitchen appliances and some flooring right away, so I want to use photos of the new stuff). I will run the application through Cozy.com once we have photos. Should I do phone screenings of interested potential applicants before they apply? If so, what questions can/should I ask without running afoul of Fair Housing laws? Also, should I schedule open house showings for anyone or just those who've applied and/or been phone screened? Thanks for your advice!