{"id":6073,"date":"2026-05-28T15:57:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/?p=1066"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:24:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:24:08","slug":"how-to-analyze-the-tenant-applicants-file-complete-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/how-to-analyze-the-tenant-applicants-file-complete-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Analyze the Tenant Applicant&#8217;s File \u2014 Complete Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You have received applications for your property. Now comes the most important \u2014 and most neglected \u2014 part of the rental process: analyzing the applicant&#8217;s dossier. A well-analyzed dossier is the difference between a tenant who pays the rent every month and one who leaves you without income for a year.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide provides a structured analysis process, document by document, with the red flags you should be aware of.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Documents to Request<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The list of documents to request varies depending on the applicant&#8217;s profile. Here is the complete list by category:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For employees (employment contract):<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Last 3 payslips (salary receipts)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employment contract (full copy \u2014 check if it is permanent, fixed-term, or open-ended)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Last IRS tax return (or settlement note)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Last 3 months of bank statements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Valid identity document (Citizen Card or passport)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of NIF (Tax Identification Number)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For self-employed workers (green receipts):<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Last 2 IRS tax returns (Model 3 with Annex B)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Green receipts from the last 6 months<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Last 6 months of bank statements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of registration as a self-employed worker with the Tax Authority (AT)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For retirees \/ pensioners:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Updated pension statement (Social Security or National Pension Center)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Last 3 months of bank statements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For non-resident \/ foreign applicants:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Valid passport + residence visa or residence permit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of Portuguese NIF<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of income in the country of origin (translated and apostilled, if necessary)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employer reference in Portugal or Portuguese employment contract<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Verify Identity Documents<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Identity verification is the first \u2014 and most basic \u2014 step. Do not skip this step.<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ask to see the original document in person. Do not just accept photocopies \u2014 anyone can forge a photocopy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the name, photograph, and expiration date. If the document is expired, it is not valid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For Portuguese citizens: check the Citizen Card (it has a chip) or the Identity Card (outdated, but still valid for some purposes).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For foreign citizens: check the passport and the Residence Permit (if applicable). The Residence Permit has an expiration date \u2014 verify if it covers the contract period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the NIF on the Finance Portal (portaldasfinancas.gov.pt &gt; Consultar NIF) to confirm that it matches the name provided.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Income Verification: Payslips, Tax Return (IRS), Bank Statements<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payslips \u2014 what to check:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Name of employer and employee \u2014 they must match the identity document<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monthly net amount \u2014 use this value to calculate the rent-to-income ratio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type of employment contract \u2014 permanent, fixed-term, unfixed-term, service provision<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consistency across the 3 months \u2014 highly variable amounts may indicate shift work, commissions, or instability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tax Return (IRS) \u2014 what to check:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Total declared income \u2014 compare with the payslips<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Income source \u2014 Category A (employment), B (self-employment), F (rental), etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Settlement note: whether there is tax to pay or a refund \u2014 IRS debts are a red flag<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bank statements \u2014 what to check:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Average monthly balance \u2014 must be positive and stable<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Regular deposits that correspond to the declared payslips<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Absence of payments for tax executions or wage garnishments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spending patterns \u2014 credit cards with high balances, frequent withdrawals of large amounts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Calculate the Rent-to-Income Ratio<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rent-to-income ratio is the most important indicator of short-term solvency. It is simple to calculate:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rent-to-income ratio = (Monthly rent \/ Monthly net income) \u00d7 100<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benchmark limits:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Below 30%: low risk \u2014 comfortable candidate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30% to 33%: moderate risk \u2014 acceptable for most landlords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>33% to 40%: high risk \u2014 consider asking for a guarantor or GLI insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Above 40%: very high risk \u2014 we recommend rejecting or demanding additional guarantees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Red Flags in an Application File<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond the numbers, there are qualitative signs that should raise suspicion:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Documents with erasures, corrections, or inconsistencies (e.g., name spelled differently)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payslips that do not match bank statements (different amounts)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>History of multiple moves in the last 2 to 3 years without a clear justification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extreme urgency to close the contract and move into the property immediately<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Refusal to provide certain documents \u2014 &#8216;I don&#8217;t have that document&#8217; is almost always a red flag<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bank statements showing bounced checks or debt executions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Negative references from previous landlords or impossible to contact<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Complete Screening Checklist \u2014 Phases and Steps<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phase 1 \u2014 Pre-screening (before the face-to-face meeting)<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rent-to-income ratio calculated based on preliminary data provided by the applicant<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employment status clarified: permanent \/ self-employed \/ retired<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm readiness to provide all documents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phase 2 \u2014 Document collection and verification<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Original identity document verified<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NIF verified on the Tax Authority Portal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payslips \/ Tax Returns (IRS) \/ bank statements reviewed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rent-to-income ratio calculated using actual data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phase 3 \u2014 Credit and reference checks<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bank of Portugal Credit Report requested or consulted<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search for debt executions on the Citius portal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contact with previous landlords (at least 1)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phase 4 \u2014 Decision and documentation<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Decision: Accept \/ Accept with additional guarantees \/ Reject<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Justification for the decision recorded (for compliance purposes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If accepted: contract drafted, signed, and registered with the Tax Authority (AT)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You have received applications for your property. Now comes the most important \u2014 and most neglected \u2014 part of the rental process: analyzing the applicant&#8217;s dossier. A well-analyzed dossier is the difference between a tenant who pays the rent every month and one who leaves you without income for a year. This guide provides a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-informacoes-do-locatario","category-informacoes-sobre-aluguer"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6073"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6077,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6073\/revisions\/6077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluseg.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}