Preliminary screening when there are so many showings

[Dilini Sundaram]

We typically have many showings per rental property resulting in many applicants. Our online application is 55 per signer. In many cases families are fronting over 100 to apply. I can only accept one applicant. I always feel terrible about the cost associated with the formal application, but of course a necessary step in the screening process. I am wondering if anyone does a preliminary application, so that you can ask tenants one by one to apply based on the strongest preliminary application. If so, have you found this method to work? Any advice or tips to solve this problem is appreciated!