Leasing Office Hours: RentEngine Rental Applications

RentEngine Applications brings the full rental application workflow (screening, income verification, fraud detection, ID verification, reference checks, and PMS sync) into the same platform your team already uses for leads, showings, and follow-ups.

If you missed our live Q&A session on rental applications, watch the recording or scroll down for a recap.

What are RentEngine Applications?

RentEngine Applications is a fully integrated rental application system. It covers credit, criminal, and eviction screening, income verification with fraud detection, ID and selfie verification, and verified reference checks.

The result: your team stays in one system from new lead to approved application. No more juggling logins between your PMS, a separate application provider, and a phone system. One phone number texts the prospect throughout the entire leasing flow. One URL with your company branding carries them from showing to application.

RentEngine has been building and testing applications for 16 months with alpha and beta users, processing thousands of applications per month and running background checks in all 50 states.

Why does integrating applications into one platform matter?

When the showing, follow-up, and application all happen in the same system, the prospect experience is smoother and conversion rates go up. Beta users reported higher conversion rates almost immediately after switching, because prospects move from lead to showing to application in the same text thread without any friction.

One beta user reported their two best leasing months since 2022 after switching to RentEngine Applications. For leasing teams heading into summer, more submitted applications from the same lead volume is the fastest way to reduce vacancy.

Screening and background checks

Does RentEngine cover credit, criminal, and eviction checks?

Yes. RentEngine runs full credit, criminal, and eviction screening through TransUnion (credit) and Asurint (criminal and eviction).

Here's a detail most property managers don't know: some counties in the U.S. don't digitize their court records (parts of Mississippi, New Mexico, and other states). For a standard national criminal search, records from those counties simply won't appear.

RentEngine handles this with county-level searches. After running the national search, the system checks each county where the applicant has lived (based on their credit report). If a county doesn't digitize records, an actual court runner physically goes to the courthouse to pull the data and bring it into the report.

97% of screening reports return within 2 minutes. The remaining 3% — those requiring an in-person courthouse search — return within one business day.

Can we set different screening criteria by property or building?

Yes. RentEngine uses application templates, so you can create different criteria for different property types. A Class A portfolio might require a higher credit score and 3.5x income, while a workforce housing portfolio might have lower thresholds. When activating a property in RentEngine, you choose which template to apply. This also works for Section 8 compliance — you can customize requirements per building.

Income verification and fraud detection

How does RentEngine verify income?

RentEngine uses an income verification waterfall, working through multiple methods to verify an applicant's income:

Payroll connection — The system first tries to connect directly to the applicant's payroll provider (ADP, Gusto, etc.) and securely pulls verified pay stubs from the source.

Bank account connection — If payroll connection isn't available, the applicant connects their bank account. The system pulls deposit records, identifies payroll vs. non-payroll deposits, and verifies that the account holder's information matches what the applicant submitted.

Document verification — If neither connection method works, the applicant uploads income documents (pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns). You can customize which documents are required and whether the requirements differ for W-2 vs. self-employed applicants.

Every uploaded PDF document is scanned for signs of fraud, forgery, and tampering — suspicious metadata, font changes, pixel inconsistencies, unexpected source information. Each document is flagged as low, medium, or high risk with the specific reasons why. If a document looks risky, you can request additional documentation in one click.

OCR then automatically extracts pay details — gross and net pay, pay period, deposit consistency — so your team doesn't have to manually scroll through PDFs.

Does fraud detection work on all document types?

Fraud, forgery, and tampering verification works on PDF documents. Image-based documents (photos of pay stubs, for example) are too easy to manipulate for reliable fraud analysis. However, OCR data extraction works on all document types — the system will still pull and present the income data from non-PDF files.

ID verification

How does RentEngine prevent identity fraud?

RentEngine establishes what we call a secure chain of record:

The applicant takes a live selfie through the front-facing camera (uploading a pre-taken photo isn't allowed). That selfie is matched to the government-issued ID they submit (verified front and back). The ID data is then matched to the screening and income documents.

This means the person who shows up on move-in day matches the selfie, which matches the ID, which matches the screening and income records. It closes the gap where someone could submit an application under another person's identity.

Reference checks

Does RentEngine verify that landlord and employer references are legitimate?

Yes. The system contacts each reference by text and email, follows up persistently, and then verifies the reference through two-factor authentication:

If the reference has a business email address, they receive a six-digit verification code that they must enter to complete the reference check. This confirms the actual supervisor or landlord filled it out — not the applicant's friend.

If the reference doesn't have a business email (common for small landlords or small businesses), they're required to upload a verifying document — typically a tenant ledger or ownership documents for landlords, or the employer's ID for employment references.

What questions are asked in the reference checks?

Default questions cover the basics: how long the tenant lived there, whether you'd rent to them again, whether they had an outstanding balance, and whether there were any issues. You can fully customize these questions.

Why do references come back faster with RentEngine?

The applicant — who has the most incentive to move quickly after paying their application fee — receives a shareable link to send directly to their employer or landlord. Instead of the reference needing to find an email from an unfamiliar company, the applicant can walk into work the next morning and hand them the link. The reference still goes through two-factor verification, so the applicant can't fill it out themselves.

Typical turnaround for references is 1–2 business days.

Application experience for tenants

How easy is it for applicants to complete the application?

About 85% of applications are submitted on a phone, so the entire flow is mobile-optimized with as few clicks as possible. The application is broken into steps so it doesn't feel overwhelming, and progress is automatically saved. If an applicant gets halfway through and has to leave, they pick up exactly where they left off the next time they log in.

What happens if an applicant starts but doesn't finish?

RentEngine sends stage-based follow-ups. These aren't generic reminders — they reference the specific step the applicant is on and how many sections remain. If someone stopped at the pet section, the follow-up will note that and tell them they have three sections left. These follow-ups go out before and during the application process.

Can applicants get help if they're stuck?

Yes. RentEngine provides a dedicated phone support line for applicants, staffed by a US-based team 7 days a week. If an applicant gets stuck uploading a pay stub or has a question mid-application, they contact support directly — your leasing team doesn't carry that burden.

RentEngine AI also covers application-related questions via text. Applicants can ask about application status, missing references, whether co-applicants have submitted, and other real-time questions.

Application processing and review

How does the review process work for property managers?

When an application is complete, your team sees a summary with every data point flagged in red or green — whether income meets your requirements, whether screening returned issues, whether references are still outstanding, whether pets exceed the property's policy. You don't need to click through individual PDFs or piece together data from multiple tabs.

Income data from OCR is pulled to the top of the review. Teams using RentEngine Applications in beta reported processing applications about 14 hours faster (from submitted to approved) and saving roughly 30–45 minutes per property on application review.

Does RentEngine recommend whether to approve or deny?

No. RentEngine does not provide a decision recommendation. It presents all verified data clearly, flags where requirements are or aren't met, and your team makes the final call.

Can we customize the review workflow?

Yes. You can set up review workflows so different people handle different stages. The first reviewer completes their step and adds notes, which triggers a notification for the next reviewer in the workflow.

How do backup applications work?

You can customize this. Options include running all background checks automatically as they come in, running them all manually, or the recommended approach: running the first application automatically, then holding subsequent applications until the first one is processed. You can manually trigger background checks on backup applications at any time.

PMS integration

Which property management systems does RentEngine integrate with?

RentEngine Applications sync with AppFolio, Buildium, Rent Manager, Propertyware, and Rentvine. When you approve an application in RentEngine, the applicant's data — including screening documents — flows instantly into your PMS. No manual data entry. You click approve in RentEngine, then start the lease signing process in your PMS as you normally would.

Is there an open API?

Yes. RentEngine offers full open APIs for applications, which means you can integrate with Salesforce, Lead Simple, HubSpot, or any custom-built system.

Notifications and communication

Does RentEngine notify the applicant when they're approved or denied?

Yes. When you approve an application, RentEngine sends an approval email to the applicant with customizable next steps. When you deny an application, RentEngine automatically sends the adverse action letter — the legally required document notifying the applicant of their rights.

Can applicants access their own screening results?

Yes. Applicants log in with their phone number and can view their screening results as soon as reports return, regardless of whether the application is approved or denied.

Pricing and commitments

What does it cost?

The cost per application ranges from $27 to $33, depending on which features you enable and your application fee. Anything above that cost — if your application fee is $50, $60, or $100 — is returned to you as a revenue share, credited monthly to your bank account. There are no other costs.

Is there a monthly or annual commitment?

No. There's no monthly or annual contract. You're billed per application as they come in. A 30-minute onboarding session gets your team set up with application templates, training, and integration into your existing RentEngine account.

Can applicants reuse their application for other properties in our portfolio?

Yes. If an applicant's first-choice property gets rented, you can move their application to another property you manage without charging them a second application fee.

Who handles chargeback disputes?

RentEngine fights chargebacks on your behalf. The company has the full communication history, the electronic disclaimer the applicant signed, and the non-refundable disclosure, and uses that documentation to dispute the chargeback. You don't have to deal with it.

Pets and ESA

Can RentEngine verify ESA letters?

Yes. If an applicant has an emotional support animal and provides a letter from their healthcare provider, RentEngine reviews the letter for signs of fraud, forgery, or tampering. If you use a third-party service like Pet Screening, RentEngine can direct applicants there as well. An integration with Pet Screening is currently in progress to pull that data back into RentEngine automatically.

Can I require vet records?

Yes. You can add a custom document requirement for vet records, and those documents will be scanned and processed.

Household and co-applicants

Can I merge applications from co-applicants who applied separately?

Yes. There's a "join household" button that links separate applications together. RentEngine also auto-detects matches based on phone number, co-applicant information, and property address, and joins them automatically.

To see RentEngine Applications in action, book a demo with the team.