I'm in a space to do some house hacking, and am under the general (unresearched, unless you count years of Zillow watching) opinion that my local rental market is healthy.

Lastly many folks were home watching the As and Giants in the World Series and I am sure that saved a lot of folks.

Quote from @Mei Zhu: Transunion Smart Move has an online application and screening that I recommend.Whichever you decide, make sure they provide a full credit report, not just a score.

We've heard this question a decent amount recently, and I'm assuming that it's Nationwide due to the stats below: 2024 is the most apartment units completed in a single year since 1987.We're definitely no longer in the days of throwing up 3 blurry photos, pushing rents, and having 5-10 applications within a 3 day period (COVID era). 

In retrospect, some yellow flags found by the property manager during the tenant screening are now bright red flashing sirens, but the tenant showed decent credit, had a positive previous landlord reference, wrote a charming cover letter in his application, and applied through the referral of a reputable real estate agent.

Some hearings can be watched by the public online.Around a third of cases get dismissed, often because the tenant came through with the money.Tenants tell of medical emergencies and job losses, of the money that hasn’t come in yet but is expected soon.

For example, I mention that every adult must pay a $30 application fee, pass my credit/criminal background, make a combined income of 3x the rent, and whether or not the property accepts pets.

Stop watching YouTube.

When you select the next tenant I would certainly ensure that you have your eyes on the applications that are coming in, and ask that you are involved in the decision making process. 3x income, clean credit and background checks should be a minimum for approval, even if it takes a month or so to find someone. 

In the end, it's really about having the patience and the mindset to keep showing up without expectations.Early on, I was all in, invested in every decision they made, and then I'd watch them pick something like a cul-de-sac home that's going to appreciate slower, and I’d think, “Why not consider a property with more built-in equity?”