Turning away applicants

[Pete Woelfel]

Hi All,

I'm currently marketing a property with a vacancy in Milwaukee and ran into something that I'm sure is routine for many of you but is actually a first time for me.  I'm asking interested parties to complete an application online on zillow.  This costs them $40 and gives me a background check, credit check, etc.  My past experience has been that the people willing to pay the $40 up front are the people who meet our preferred criteria (income 3x rent, 600+ credit rating and clean background check).  For the first time, I've run across someone who submitted the application but does not meet multiple criteria (income and credit rating).  If I decide that this person is not the right fit as a tenant, what kind of explanation do I owe them, especially if I don't rent the unit right away and it stays on the market?  Can I just say the application was not approved?  I'm assuming I can legally say no for any reason that's not a protected class and credit rating and income are not protected classes.

Thanks in advance for any advice!