Legally Rejecting Applications

[Matt Weddon]

Getting ready to rent my first property!

I've been reading up on the process to go from advertisement to signed lease. I feel I have a good handle on the basic best practices and will be listing the property on Zillow shortly. 

Something I'm questioning: 

For the sake of the hypothetical, let's say you have an applicant who objectively scores the highest in all categories on your minimum qualification standards (references, credit score, rental history, income, etc.,) relative to all other applicants, but after showing them the property you have the distinct sense they'll be a difficult, high maintenance/game-the-system/treat-your-property-poorly tenant.

Essentially: how do you stay on the right side of the law rejecting a tenant that appears to be the best applicant on paper, but to whom you don't want to rent based on unpleasant personal interactions or impressions that they would likely take poor care of your property?

Is this a matter of just ensuring that you don't decline them for an illegal reason that would constitute a Fair Housing infraction?

I've read that you don't have to rent to the first person who comes along meeting your qualification standards, but also that you must have a fair, legitimate business reason to deny them, and I'm trying to reconcile these.