Tenant screening in California means reviewing every rental application against the same written criteria, using information that can be verified (credit, income, employment and rental history), and documenting each decision the way fair housing and screening laws require. That one sentence is the whole job. In Pittsburg and the rest of East Contra Costa County, the difference between a tenancy that runs smoothly and one that turns into a year of surprises usually comes down to whether that process was consistent, verifiable and legally defensible, not to whether someone seemed fine at a showing. Here is the process from both chairs: what an applicant can expect, and what an owner should expect from whoever screens for them.
What the law requires of every screening in California
Three rules shape everything else, and they protect applicants and owners at the same time.
Written criteria, applied the same way to everyone. Fair housing law, federal and California, does not tell you whom to rent to. It requires that the standards be written down, given to applicants, and applied to every file the same way, without regard to membership in any legally protected class. "Seems like a good fit" is not a criterion. A documented income ratio, a credit review method, a rental-history requirement and a list of automatic disqualifiers are.
Fees under Civil Code 1950.6. The screening fee may cover only the actual cost of the reports plus the reasonable value of the time spent, up to a ceiling that started at $30 in 1998 and rises with the Consumer Price Index. The landlord cannot charge it when no unit is available. The applicant receives an itemized receipt and, within 7 days of the landlord getting it, a copy of the consumer credit report. The landlord may decline to rely on a report the applicant brings, which is why most professional managers run their own standardized report on every adult. And since the 2025 amendments, the fee is lawful only inside one of two processes: first-come, first-served against written criteria, with the fee charged only when the application is actually considered, or a full refund to everyone not selected. A fee kept from an applicant who was considered and did not meet the written criteria is not refundable under either path.
Alternatives for applicants with housing assistance. Under Government Code 12955(o), an applicant receiving government housing assistance may choose to show ability to pay their portion of the rent with lawful, verifiable alternative evidence instead of credit history, and the income standard applies to the tenant's portion of the rent, not the whole contract rent. Government Code 12955 protects applicants whose rent is paid in part by an assistance program, and a process that handles the alternative path cleanly is the compliant one.
One more rule sits behind those three. When a consumer report plays any part in a denial, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires an adverse-action notice under 15 U.S.C. 1681m that names the reporting agency and the applicant's right to a free copy and to dispute the information.
The screening process at Croskey, step by step
This is the process we run on every rental we lease in Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Bay Point and Concord, whether under full-service management or lease-only placement. The full criteria live on the qualification requirements page, and the applicant's walkthrough is on how to apply.
- Application and fee. Every person 18 or older who will live in the home applies, and the application fee is $35 per adult. The application fee page explains what it covers and why it is non-refundable once the file is considered.
- Completeness check. A file is complete when every adult has submitted the form, the fee and the documents: government-issued photo ID, the last two months of income documentation, the last two months of bank statements, and references from prior independent landlords. Incomplete files are told what is missing and given 2 business days to finish.
- First-come, first-served. Complete applications are considered in the order received. No unit is held for an incomplete file, and no file is moved up because it looks stronger. This is the process Civil Code 1950.6 describes, and it removes the judgment call that creates fair housing exposure.
- Identity and initial review. Names, dates and details across the application and the documents have to agree.
- Standardized screening report, one per adult. We run our own report on every adult rather than relying on reports applicants bring, so identity is verified and every file is read from the same data.
- Verification. Income against deposits, for stability and affordability; employment with the employer when needed; rental history with prior landlords, for payment patterns and lease compliance.
- Assistance path when it applies. Applicants receiving government housing assistance may use the alternative evidence described above in place of credit history, and the income standard is applied to their portion of the rent.
- Decision and documentation. Complete applications are typically decided within 2 to 3 business days, on the complete file, the report, the verified income and employment, the rental history, and the assistance documentation when it applies. Every decision is documented against the written criteria.
- Next steps. An approved applicant places a holding deposit within 24 hours, which is credited to move-in funds, and move-ins are scheduled on Thursdays with at least 5 business days' notice after the written terms are confirmed. An applicant who is not approved receives the notices the law requires, including the adverse-action notice when a consumer report was part of the decision. A file that goes quiet is closed after 2 business days.
What "qualified" means, and what it does not
The published standards cover income relative to rent, credit reviewed as a whole rather than as a single cutoff, two to three years of verifiable rental history from independent landlords, and a short list of automatic disqualifiers: unpaid balances or collections owed to a landlord or property manager, utility accounts in collections, unresolved eviction judgments within the reporting window, and unverifiable identification or falsified information. The current numbers for each standard, and the Credit Risk Mitigation Program that lets applicants with lower scores qualify under published monthly terms, are on the qualification requirements page; they are maintained there so this guide never carries a stale figure.
Two patterns from real files show how the written criteria do the work. A file with strong income and a utility account in collections is reviewed against the automatic-disqualifier list, and the list decides, not an impression. A file with a lower credit score but stable income, positive rental history and reserves is reviewed under the published program for lower scores, and can be approved on those terms. In both cases the outcome is the criteria's, which is what makes it defensible for the owner and explainable to the applicant.
What "qualified" does not mean is a perfect record, a particular kind of household, or a guess about character. Screening reduces uncertainty; it does not eliminate it, and no process should promise that it does.
What applicants can expect
- Your fee buys a real review. The $35 pays for the standardized report and the staff time to verify your file, and you receive an itemized receipt. Under Civil Code 1950.6 you also receive a copy of your consumer credit report within 7 days of the landlord receiving it.
- "Under review" means your complete file is in the queue. Files are considered in the order they became complete, so the fastest way to a decision is to submit every document for every adult at once. Typical decision time once complete: 2 to 3 business days.
- Assistance is handled by the published path. If part of your rent is paid through a housing assistance program, say so on the application; the income standard applies to your portion, and you may use benefit statements, pay records or bank statements instead of credit history.
- A denial comes with the reasons the law requires. If a consumer report was part of the decision, you receive an adverse-action notice with the agency's contact information and your right to a free copy and a dispute.
- Assistance animals are not pets. Disclosing one does not affect screening and carries no pet fee or deposit.
What owners can expect
- The same criteria on every file, in writing. That is the fair housing requirement, and it is also what keeps a decision defensible if it is ever challenged.
- A report run by us, on every adult. Identity verified, data standardized, read the same way for every applicant.
- Verification, not just a report. Deposits matched to stated income, employer confirmation when needed, and prior landlords called for payment and lease history.
- A documented decision. The file shows which criteria were applied and how, and the notices that went to the applicant.
- Human judgment, disclosed. Croskey does not use AI to automate, recommend, score, approve or deny tenant applications. Every application is evaluated by licensed property management team members, and the AI and human oversight page explains where technology is used and who reviews it.
- One rule for the whole company. The screening is the same under full-service management and under lease-only placement; the difference is who runs the tenancy after move-in.
The process at a glance
| Step | Standard | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | Every occupant 18 or older | Qualification requirements |
| Fee | $35 per adult, actual cost plus staff time, under the statutory cap | Civil Code 1950.6; application fee page |
| Order | First-come, first-served on complete files | Civil Code 1950.6(c)(2)(A); qualification requirements |
| Complete file | All adults: form, fee, ID, 2 months income, 2 months bank statements, landlord references | Qualification requirements |
| Report | One standardized report per adult, run by Croskey | Civil Code 1950.6(a); qualification requirements |
| Assistance recipients | Alternative evidence option; income standard on the tenant portion | Government Code 12955(o) |
| Decision time | Typically 2 to 3 business days once complete | Qualification requirements |
| Denial | Adverse-action notice when a consumer report was used | 15 U.S.C. 1681m |
| After approval | Holding deposit within 24 hours; Thursday move-ins with 5 business days' notice | Qualification requirements |
| Who decides | Licensed team members; no AI scoring or decisions | Qualification requirements; AI and human oversight page |
Our read, from the operator's chair
The moment that tests a screening process is the Tuesday two complete applications arrive for the same Antioch house within an hour of each other. Without a written order rule, that moment becomes a judgment call, and judgment calls are where fair housing exposure lives. First-come, first-served, with the criteria already in the applicants' hands, means the second file is simply next in line, and if the first file meets the criteria, the second applicant gets a clear answer and, under the fee rules, is not charged for a review that never happened. What follows are patterns from our files, not one applicant's or one owner's story. The files that stall are the incomplete ones: one adult submitted, the other did not, and the clock cannot start. The files that create friction are the ones with a report the applicant ran themselves, which we cannot use and have to explain. The files that surprise owners are the approvals under the published lower-score program, which look unfamiliar to an owner who screened by a single number for years and turn out to be exactly what a consistent process produces.
Our view is that screening is not a search for a perfect applicant. It is a process that has to give the same answer regardless of who is asking, and that has to be able to show its work afterward. A written criteria sheet, an order rule, one report per adult, verification, and a documented decision do that. Everything else is a showing.
Where to go from here
If you are applying, the how to apply page walks the eleven steps and the qualification requirements carry the current numbers; having every document ready for every adult is what shortens the wait. If you own a rental in East Contra Costa and want this process run on your next vacancy, it is the same screening under lease-only placement, where you run the tenancy afterward, and under full-service management, where we do; the pricing page lays both out, and a consultation is the place to ask which fits.
This guide is general information for California rental applicants and owners, not legal advice. Statutes and regulations cited are current to October 2026 and change; the qualification requirements page carries Croskey's current criteria and controls over any summary here. Croskey Real Estate complies with all federal, California and local fair housing laws and evaluates every applicant by the same objective standards, without regard to membership in any legally protected class. Croskey Real Estate is an Equal Housing Opportunity provider. DRE #01990430.
Frequently asked questions
What can a California landlord legally use to screen rental applicants?
Credit reports, income and employment verification, rental history and prior landlord references, and eviction records within the reporting window, among others. Every criterion must be written, given to applicants, and applied to every application the same way, without regard to membership in any legally protected class.
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in California?
Only the actual out-of-pocket cost of the reports plus the reasonable value of staff time, and never more than a statutory ceiling that started at $30 in 1998 and is adjusted each year for inflation (Civil Code 1950.6). The applicant receives an itemized receipt and a copy of the consumer credit report within 7 days. Croskey charges $35 per adult applicant.
Why was my application fee not refunded?
Civil Code 1950.6 lets a landlord keep the fee from an applicant whose complete application was actually considered and did not meet the written criteria. The fee must be refunded, within 7 days, to an applicant whose application was never considered, for example because another applicant was approved first. Landlords who use the alternative process refund every applicant not selected.
I receive housing assistance. Do I need a credit history to qualify?
No. Under California Government Code 12955(o), an applicant receiving government housing assistance may choose to show ability to pay their portion of the rent with lawful, verifiable alternative evidence such as benefit statements, pay records or bank statements instead of credit history, and the income standard is applied to the tenant's portion of the rent, not the whole contract rent.
How long does a rental application decision take?
California law sets no fixed deadline, but Civil Code 1950.6 requires the report copy within 7 days and any refund within 7 days of selecting another applicant. At Croskey, a file is complete when every adult has submitted their form, fee and documents, and complete files are typically decided within 2 to 3 business days. If a consumer report was part of a denial, the applicant receives an adverse-action notice under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Sources
- California Civil Code section 1950.6 (application screening fees), as amended effective January 1, 2026
- California Government Code section 12955 (fair housing; source of income and alternative evidence)
- 15 U.S.C. 1681m (Fair Credit Reporting Act, adverse action notices)
- Croskey Real Estate, qualification requirements and screening criteria
- Croskey Real Estate, how to apply
- Croskey Real Estate, the application fee
- Croskey Real Estate, AI and human oversight
