Tenant Screening in Miami-Dade: A Landlord’s Guide for 2026

A bad tenant costs a Miami-Dade owner more than a vacant month ever will. Unpaid rent, a slow eviction, damage that eats the deposit and then some. Most of that risk gets decided before the lease is signed, during screening. Here is how we think about tenant screening for rentals in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Miami Beach, and the rest of the county.

Write your screening criteria before you list

Decide what you require before the first showing, write it down, and apply it the same way to every applicant. That protects you two ways: you stop making exceptions for someone who seems nice, and you have a record that you treated everyone the same if a decision is ever questioned.

A simple written standard usually covers income, credit, rental history, eviction history, and how you handle criminal records.

What a solid screening actually checks

Income. Many South Florida landlords look for gross monthly income around three times the rent. With Miami-Dade rents where they are, that number knocks out a lot of people, so decide ahead of time whether you will accept a co-signer, a larger deposit (within what the lease and Florida law allow), or combined household income. Verify with pay stubs, offer letters, or bank statements, not just what the application says.

Credit. You are looking for patterns, not a perfect score. Unpaid rent or utility collections matter more than an old medical bill.

Rental history. Call the previous landlord, not just the current one. A current landlord who wants a problem tenant gone may give a glowing reference. Ask whether rent was on time, whether they would rent to this person again, and whether the deposit was returned in full.

Eviction records. Check filings, not only judgments. A pattern of filings tells you something even when cases were settled.

Identity. Match the ID to the application and the screening report. Rental fraud with fake pay stubs and borrowed identities is common in high-rent markets like Miami Beach and Brickell.

Fair housing rules you cannot skip

The federal Fair Housing Act bars discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability. Florida has its own fair housing law, and Miami-Dade County has a local ordinance with additional protected categories, so check the current county list.

A few practical points. Do not ask about kids, health, or where someone is from. Treat assistance-animal requests as a disability accommodation, not a pet question. Avoid blanket "no criminal record" bans; look at the type of offense and how long ago it happened.

If you use a screening company and turn someone down because of what the report says, federal credit-reporting law requires you to send that applicant an adverse action notice. Most screening services provide the template.

Condo and HOA approval is a second screening

If your rental is in a condo or HOA community, the association may run its own application, background check, and interview, and that can add days or weeks. Build that time into your listing plan, read the association's leasing rules before you advertise, and do not hand over keys until the approval is in writing. A tenant who moves in without association approval can turn into a fine for you and a fight with the board.

DIY screening or hand it off

If you have one rental and time to make calls, DIY screening is very doable. Use an online screening service where the applicant pays and authorizes the report, so you never handle their Social Security number. We keep a short list of screening and rent-collection tools on our owner tools page (some links there may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

If you live out of state, own several units, or just do not want to be the person rejecting applicants, a local property manager takes this off your plate and usually has a tested process already. See our services page, or our guides on hiring a property manager in South Florida and in Coral Gables.

Frequently asked questions

How much can I charge for a rental application in Miami-Dade?
Florida does not set a statewide cap on application fees, but the fee should reflect the real cost of screening. Charging the same fee to everyone and disclosing it up front keeps things clean.

How long does tenant screening take?
Online credit, criminal, and eviction reports usually come back within a day. Landlord calls and income verification take a few days. Condo or HOA approval can add one to several weeks.

Can I reject an applicant for a past eviction?
Generally yes, if eviction history is part of your written criteria and you apply it to everyone. If you reject based on a screening report, send the adverse action notice.

Want a second set of eyes?

If you are about to list a rental and want to talk through your screening setup, or you would rather have a local manager handle it, get in touch with Camisi. Tell us the address and the timeline and we will point you in the right direction.

This article is general information for South Florida property owners, not legal advice. Fair housing and landlord-tenant rules change, so confirm current requirements with a Florida real estate attorney.