Tenant screening & application process

[Chris B.]

Planning to get my first multifamily property by the end of summer and wondering how to go about selecting the right tenants. At work part of my responsibilities include bringing on new talent to the team. I’m usually a pretty accurate judge of character and experience when dealing with an applicant; however, having a resume (and any other submitted materials) goes a long way to weeding out those that don’t make the cut. I realize nothing replaces meeting the applicant in person, but was wondering if anyone have experience in this field and know if the same strategies apply to picking the right tenant?

What documentations do you usually require during the application process? Do you find that the simple fact of having a more involved application process helps deter less desirable tenants (or just deters overall interest)?