We manage apartment communities across Ohio and receive a high and growing volume of rental applications, more than one full-time reviewer can keep up with. We're looking for a detail-oriented Applications Reviewer to screen each applicant thoroughly and consistently against our written screening criteria, so we approve qualified residents quickly and catch risks before move-in.
What You'll Do:
Review rental applications end to end in AppFolio, making sure every application is complete and every required document is in.
Verify income and ability to pay: review pay stubs, offer letters, bank statements, benefit letters and other proof of income, and calculate income-to-rent ratios.
Review tenant screening reports (credit, eviction history, and criminal background) and apply our written screening criteria consistently to every applicant.
Spot red flags: altered or inconsistent documents, mismatched names or employers, unverifiable income, prior evictions or unpaid balances owed to landlords.
Call employers and previous landlords to verify employment, income and rental history.
Call or message applicants to request missing documents and explain next steps.
Summarize each file with a clear recommendation (approve, approve with conditions such as a higher deposit or co-signer, or decline) and the specific criteria behind it, for final sign-off by the Leasing Manager.
Keep application status notes current so the leasing team always knows where each file stands.
Handle applicant information confidentially and follow fair housing rules on every file.
Turnaround Times:
Priority reviews: files flagged as urgent by a Leasing Manager are reviewed first and returned as soon as possible.
Complete applications: returned with a recommendation within 2 hours of receiving the file.
Incomplete applications: initial review within 1 hour of receiving the file and missing documents requested right away, then follow up by phone and message and finish the file within 72 hours
Requirements:
At least 1 year of screening or verification experience, such as tenant screening, background checks, employment or income verification, KYC/compliance review, or loan and mortgage processing.
Ability to read and interpret US credit, eviction and criminal background reports.
Excellent spoken and written English; clear, professional and easily understood on the phone with US applicants, employers and landlords.
AppFolio experience preferred; training provided.
Strong eye for detail and ability to recognize altered or fraudulent documents.
Working knowledge of US Fair Housing laws; LIHTC (affordable housing) knowledge is a plus. You'll complete our Fair Housing and LIHTC training before reviewing files.
Reliable computer with a second monitor, high-speed internet, a quiet work area and a headset.
Backup power and a backup internet connection so you can keep working during outages.
Willing to use our time-tracking tool during all working hours.
Flexible to work extra hours, including weekends, when volume is high.
Willing to sign an NDA and follow our data security rules: work only on a secure, password-protected computer that no one else uses, never download or store applicant documents on personal devices, and never share applicant information outside our systems.
Comfortable working in Slack, Quo (formerly OpenPhone) and Google Workspace alongside AppFolio.
Nice to Have:
Real estate or property management background, especially US residential leasing.
Experience with other property management software such as Buildium, Rent Manager or Entrata.
Experience with screening services such as TransUnion SmartMove or RentGrow.
Trial Period:
Employment begins with a paid 30-day trial period. Continued engagement is subject to satisfactory performance.
Benefits
Company: VSF Rentals (multifamily property management, Ohio, USA)
Type: Remote, full-time contractor
Hours:
40 hours/week minimum, US Eastern business hours. Extra hours, including weekends, are available during busy leasing periods and paid at your hourly rate.
Rate: $8-$10 USD/hour based on experience, paid weekly via Wise
