Can I deny a couple because one tenant has poor credit

[Summer Noyes]

I'm currently screening applicants for our first rental property. I have a couple that applied. His credit and background is great. Hers is horrible. Can I deny the whole situation because of one applicant (I"m in California)? They applied as co-applicants. If he came back to me and said he wanted to apply alone, I don't think that she wouldn't be staying there and that would be a breach of my lease. I just don't want him to come back at me and say I unfairly denied him because she didn't qualify. Just want to be sure I'm doing things legally correct. Thanks for any input.

[Kyle J.]

Legally, you’re allowed to apply your applicant screening criteria to each applicant in California. This comes up all the time when I’m screening applicants.  Not with credit scores, but with evictions.

I have a “no prior eviction” policy and I’ll often find that one applicant has a prior eviction. Even if the other applicant would have otherwise qualified, the prior eviction on just the one applicant ends up disqualifying the entire couple/group’s application.

You definitely don’t have to accept the entire couple/group just because one person in the couple/group happens to meet your minimum criteria.