I couldn’t help but realize something today in the middle of the night: rental applications are like applying for a job.  Now, this may come across as a little strange, but bear with me for a minute - and see it from my perspective.

First off, if you are interested in renting an apartment, condo, house, or other type of rental property, you respond to the want ad in the paper.  Usually this is done by phone and you schedule and appointment for you to view the suite.  This meeting has two purposes - both for you to see the suite and for the landlord to meet you and form a preliminary opinion of you (like having a job interview before you hand in your resume).

After the look at the suite, you usually fill out an application for rent.  You would also fill out your references and your rental history (makes me think of a resume).  They take the information on your application and then they perform landlord tenant referencing after you are gone to see what your references say about you.

Quite often they will check tenant credit too to make sure that you will be able to pay your rent and not a problem tenant.  After jumping all these hoops they will make a decision whether or not to rent to you, much like the decision to hire a job applicant.  Though the process seems backwards, it is very much like applying for a job