Every Cook County landlord knows the basics: tenant screening is how you decide whether someone is likely to pay rent on time, respect the property, and be a good neighbor. But what tools actually answer those questions reliably? Credit checks, employment records, and references from prior landlords are the three pillars — and a credit score is usually the first thing landlords look at.
First Steps in the Renter Pre-Qualification Process
Start by looking at credit scores. What exactly makes up a person's credit score? A credit score is essentially a numerical summary of a person's financial reliability — built from years of borrowing, payment, and account history. Financial history, such as outstanding debt and current account balances, makes up a good portion of a person's credit score. The number also reflects a person's timeliness in paying back creditors; a few delinquent payments or an abundance of credit cards in a person's name can hurt a credit score.
But a credit score isn't always the most accurate means to judge a potential renter's financial solvency. Events such as divorce and identity theft may negatively skew a person's credit score. And relatively young renters may not have enough financial history to establish a strong credit score. Landlords should consider these circumstances when they evaluate an applicant's credit score.
Credit Score Ranges & What the Numbers Mean for Landlords
Landlords may wonder, "What are the acceptable ranges for a tenant's credit score?" The answer will likely vary slightly from each landlord to the next. First, it might be helpful to provide some context on credit scores. Did you know that generic credit scoring models have been around for over 35 years? Various factors influence an individual's credit score, such as payment history and number of credit accounts. But how do landlords and property managers know what to make of an individual renter's credit score? This is where the credit scoring industry's accepted scoring model could be useful and could come into play.
There are three major players in the national credit reporting company (CRC) sphere for the United States: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Landlords may maintain substantial confidence in tenant screening credit reports generated by one of these CRCs as they've been around the longest. But that is an individual decision. Currently, there are two commonly used credit scoring models, FICO and VantageScore. The scoring ranges vary slightly between these two models, but both FICO and VantageScore break down an individual's creditworthiness into five credit score ranges:
Credit Score of 300- 579
This is regarded as the lowest end of the spectrum and maybe dubbed by some as a "very poor" credit score.
Credit Score of 580 - 669
The two common scoring models differ slightly in this range. VantageScore considers scores below 600 "poor" and 601–660 "fair." FICO classifies the entire 580–669 range as "fair."
Credit Score of 670 - 739
A credit score in this range might be considered a "good" score according to both common credit scoring models.
Credit Score of 740 - 799
Both scoring models consider this range "very good," but VantageScore interprets anything above 781 as an "excellent" credit score.
Credit Score of 800+
According to the FICO scoring model, scores above 800 are deemed "exceptional."
Of course, credit scores and ratings by third parties are just some of the data and information landlords may collect and evaluate when evaluating tenant applications. Domu's goal is to provide background for these important decisions.
Warning Signs for Landlords in Renter's Credit History
Late payment is an obvious red flag for landlords to spot in a potential renter's credit history. The success of a landlord's apartment operation hinges on timely payment. If a renter's credit report shows a demonstrable trend of late payments, this is a pretty serious warning sign to landlords.
Cook County landlords should choose a tenant screening service that respects the Just Housing Ordinance — meaning the credit, income, and eviction history are reviewed before the criminal background check unlocks. A credit report supplied directly by the renter is another red flag; reports should always come through a trusted third-party service or directly from a credit bureau like TransUnion. Domu's tenant screening, built directly into the landlord dashboard, runs the JHO-compliant order automatically and pulls reports straight from TransUnion. You can read more about how it works here.
Read more about the two-step tenant application process required by the Just Housing Amendment.
Can Landlords Rely on Credit Scores in the Apartment Application Process?
Landlords take on a calculated risk by renting their home or apartment to a stranger. And the credit score may act as a barometer for the risk level of a potential renter. Does a low credit score mean an applicant is less likely to pay rent on time? Not always. Credit scores reflect financial history, but they don't capture the full picture — recent life events, identity theft, divorce, or a thin credit file (common with younger applicants) can all skew the number lower than the applicant's actual reliability suggests. A credit score is a useful starting point for risk assessment, but it shouldn't be the only one.
Credit scores aren't the only selection criteria at a landlord's disposal. Collecting rental history and references from previous landlords is another advisable step in the pre-qualification process. Landlords should thoroughly check those references and verify that a renter's employment info checks out. Combined with a credit score, these factors should paint a reasonably accurate picture of a potential renter's ability to pay the apartment rent.
Putting It All Together: Credit Scores Are One Input, Not the Verdict
The smartest Chicago landlords treat the credit score as one input alongside rental history, employment verification, and references — not as the deciding factor on its own. A 650 with steady employment and a clean rental history often outperforms a 720 with a recent eviction. The score tells you about an applicant's relationship with credit; the rest of the screening tells you about their relationship with renting.
That's exactly how Domu's tenant screening was designed. Credit, income, and eviction history surface first — in the order Cook County's Just Housing Ordinance requires — and the criminal background check unlocks only after your provisional approval. The applicant pays a flat $50; landlords pay nothing. Whether you manage one condo or twenty units, you get a TransUnion-backed report in your dashboard with no subscription, no per-report fees, and no requirement to list your unit on Domu.com.
Learn more about Domu's tenant screening →
Disclaimer: The general information that Domu provides about Chicago landlord-tenant law is not intended as legal advice. Domu endeavors to provide accurate information, but the law is subject to change, and Domu is not a law firm or provider of legal services and makes no warranty regarding this information's accuracy, completeness, reliability or usefulness. This information is for informational purposes only. Questions about your particular leasing situation should be directed to a lawyer.
