How We Screen Rental Applicants
At Evergreen Property Management, we believe that choosing the right tenant at the start is one of the most important factors in creating a successful and stress-free rental experience for our owners.
Our strong screening process helps reduce risk, protect your investment, and create long-term stability for both landlords and residents. While no screening system can predict every future outcome, having clear and consistent criteria in place significantly reduces many of the common pitfalls landlords face — including unpaid rent, property damage, lease violations, and costly evictions.
That’s why Evergreen follows a detailed, legally compliant screening process designed to evaluate applicants fairly, consistently, and thoroughly.
Our Screening Process
Once a complete application is submitted, our team begins processing it immediately.
Evergreen Property Management follows all applicable Federal Fair Housing laws as well as Oregon landlord-tenant regulations throughout the screening and application process. Our policies are designed to ensure objective, non-discriminatory decision-making while helping owners minimize unnecessary risk.
Having written screening criteria protects not only the property owner, but also ensures applicants are treated fairly and equally.
Our screening criteria is posted on our website as well as on each property listing. Both prospective tenants and owners can see our criteria at any time.
Our screening process includes several important areas:
Credit Check
We review an applicant’s credit history to look for patterns of financial responsibility. A strong credit profile often reflects consistent payment habits and overall financial stability. Evergreen’s screening criteria requires a minimum credit score of 650. Applicants with ongoing patterns of unpaid debt, collections, repeated payment breaches, or five or more unpaid collections may not qualify under our screening standards.
While credit score is an important part of the evaluation process, we also review the overall financial picture and payment history to help ensure applicants are financially prepared for long-term tenancy success.
Background & Criminal Screening
Background checks are conducted in compliance with Oregon law and Federal Fair Housing regulations. Our goal is to balance safety, legal compliance, and fair access to housing while protecting the interests of property owners and residents alike.
Rental History Verification
One of the strongest indicators of future tenancy performance is past rental history. Evergreen verifies prior landlord references and looks for positive rental history, including timely payments, lease compliance, and overall tenant behavior.
Applicants must demonstrate verifiable rental history or homeownership history. Negative landlord references, unresolved balances owed to landlords, repeated late payments, or serious lease violations and evictions are all considered during the review process.
Employment & Income Verification
Stable income is essential for long-term rental success. Evergreen verifies employment and income documentation to ensure applicants have the financial ability to meet their rental obligations.
Applicants are required to demonstrate household income that is 2x the stated rental amount, and employment income must be verifiable. Self-employed applicants are also required to provide additional documentation such as business verification and prior tax returns.
Housing Assistance Verification
Applications are processed in the order they are received in accordance with Oregon landlord-tenant law. This applies equally to all applicants, including those participating in housing assistance programs such as Section 8 and Home Forward. Oregon law prohibits landlords and property managers from discriminating against applicants based on source of income, funding or any protected class. Housing vouchers and assistance funds are verified with their source prior to signing any lease or collecting security deposits.
Continuing Legal Education
To stay current on changing laws and best practices, our office team also completed two separate legal training sessions last year focused specifically on Fair Housing compliance and Oregon landlord-tenant law updates. Continuing education is a major priority for our company because the legal landscape for rental housing continues to evolve.
Protecting Your Investment Starts Before Move-In
The leasing process is about far more than simply filling a vacancy quickly. Careful screening at the beginning of a tenancy can help create a more positive experience for everyone involved — owners, tenants, and property managers alike.
At Evergreen, we take pride in balancing thorough screening practices with professionalism, fairness, and legal compliance. Our goal is always to place qualified tenants who will care for the property, fulfill their lease obligations, and contribute to a successful long-term tenancy.
Thank you for trusting Evergreen Property Management with your investment properties.