How to Screen Tenants in Nigeria: Step-by-Step Guide

How to screen a tenant

Screening a tenant involves creating an account, adding property details, and sharing the application link with the applicant.


Who can screen tenants on Tenalet? All listing agents, landlords, tenant agents, and property managers can screen tenants on Tenalet.

What you'll need

  • A valid email address for account creation.

  • The address, the type of property(suite, apartment, unit), city, and state you are screening for 

Step-by-step guide

1. Start the rental process

a. On the Welcome page, select Manage Rental and click Continue.

b. Select Vet Tenants to begin the rental process.



Fig 1:  Start rental process page

2. Enter your contact information

a.  On the Enter your information page, enter your contact details. This information will be visible to applicants before they apply.

b. Fill in your First name, Last name, and Phone number(for example, 0803-XXX-XXXX format.)

c. Click Continue.


Fig 2: Enter your contact information

3. Select or add a property

a. Use the drop-down menu and select Add New Property.

b. Enter the property details. This includes:

  • Street: Where the property is located.

  • Property type: Apartment, unit, suite, floor.

  • City: The city where the property is located, for example, Lagos.

  • State: The state where the property is located.

  • Role: Your role regarding the property– landlord, property manager, listing agent, or tenant agent.

c. After entering the details, click Add Property and confirm the property address.


Fig 3: Select and add properties

Info
Once you create a property, you can't change its address. Made a mistake? Just archive it from your dashboard and create a new one.

d. Go back and select the property you just added, then click Next.

4. Review application package

a. After adding a property, you will land on the Confirm what's included in each application page. This page shows the application form and the rental information you need to screen the applicant.



Fig 4: Review application package

b. You are reviewing the standard application package. Although you have the choice to select the full application package or just the screening report

Form

Description

Rental Application

This collects basic tenant data, employment history, and previous landlord references. It is also free for all landlords and agents. 

Income Verification

This uses Open Banking (via Mono) to securely confirm the applicant’s income and stability. It also includes the applicant's employment verification.

Credit report & Score

This checks the applicant's debt history and payment behaviour through major Nigerian Credit Bureaus (CRC). It also includes the applicant's identity verification


c. Payment & Fee Note: By default, the applicant pays: ₦9,900.00. This fee covers the cost of Income Verification and Credit Report & Score. 

d. If you are satisfied with the options, click Next and share the application link with the applicant.

5. Edit screening options

This step gives you full control over the screening required for this specific property.

a. Click the Edit button to select the form you need. You can select the full application package, income verification, credit report & score, or both. Select what you need to screen the applicant.

b. Choose who pays: You can toggle the fee setting to either:



Fig 5: Edit specific screening options

  • Applicant: The ₦9,900.00 fee is charged to the applicant before submission for income verification and credit report/score

  • Me: The fee is charged to your account as the landlord or agent.

Learn how to pay a tenant screening fee

c. Click Next when satisfied with your payment and form selections.



Fig 6: Share application link

a. The final step generates your unique application link

b. Copy the link, click Done. This will take you to your dashboard 

c. You can now share this link to the applicant via SMS or WhatsApp.

What's next?

Once an applicant completes their application, you will receive a notification on your dashboard and email to view the screening report.


Need more help? Contact support at support@tenalet.com

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