Pre-rental screening, who should pay?

When you carry out a pre-rental screening, it is mandatory to have the prospective tenant sign an authorization before carrying out the screening. It is also recommended that you ask for a deposit not exceeding the actual costs of the investigation before proceeding with the screening. What should be done with this amount once the investigation is completed?

CORPIQ rental application form states:

To cover screening fees, I have given the landlord a deposit of $_____, which will not be refunded to me if I refuse to sign a lease after being informed that my Rental Application has been accepted or if a false information has been entered. The landlord reserves his rights for any other damages incurred in the event that I refuse to sign the lease.

Once the pre-rental screening has been carried out, you either accept or refuse one or more applicants, CORPIQ is of the opinion that this amount must be reimbursed to the applicant tenant. The latter does not know your selection criteria and cannot be confronted with a fait-accompli of refusal and therefore lose the sum pledged for the investigation.

Asking for a deposit to cover the costs of the investigation is therefore suggested to protect you against candidates' withdrawals or false declarations. This will prevent you from unnecessarily spending money on candidates applying for several units at the same time. In addition, asking for a deposit demonstrates the seriousness and motivation to want to rent your dwelling.

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