Your listing is live and five people are interested. A good problem to have, but you still need to choose. The best method is simple: judge everyone on the same criteria, and write your decision down.
Set your criteria in advance
Before you look at any applicant, write down what matters to you. For example:
- Ability to pay: rent plus utilities should be no more than a third of their net income.
- Reliability: a reference from a previous landlord, their job.
- Timing: when they could move in, and how long they plan to stay.
- Fit with the flat: pets, smoking, how many people would move in.
With criteria set up front, gut feeling doesn't make the call, and it's easier to explain your choice at the end.
Ask everyone for the same things
Ask every applicant for the same details, in the same format. What's allowed under data protection rules is covered in our article on tenant screening. Asking one person for more than the others can be unfair in itself.
Criteria you can't use
For a publicly advertised flat, you can't treat applicants differently based on things like sex, origin, nationality, religion, age, marital status, having children or disability. An ad that says "no children" or "Hungarians only" is a real risk.
What you can ask: how many people would move in, whether they have pets, whether anyone smokes. These are about how the flat will be used, not about the person.
Compare them side by side
Most mistakes happen because applicants come in from everywhere: one by e-mail, one by phone, one by message. Put them in a table, one applicant per row, one criterion per column. You'll see who is strong where, and what's still missing.
The key question: what's verified, and what's just a claim? Verified income is worth more than "I earn well".
Write down your decision
A few sentences will do: who you chose, and which criterion decided it. If questions come up later, you'll have something to point to. Let the others know politely that the flat is taken, and delete their documents.
FAQ
Can I pick the person I like more?
If they're similar on the criteria that matter, your personal impression can count too. What matters is that a protected characteristic isn't the reason for your choice.
What if my top applicant backs out?
That's why it's worth not turning down your runner-up straight away. Tell them you'll be in touch soon.
Can I get a score for each applicant?
With automated scoring, data protection and transparency matter even more. It's simpler and safer to look at the facts side by side and make the call yourself.
Rentkey
In Rentkey, applicants appear side by side in one table: Passport level, verified income, references, move-in date. The table doesn't rank anyone, the decision is yours. For the applicant's side, read our article on being a strong applicant.
