Modernizing Rental Applications With Automation + AI

The Challenge

A “digital paper” process that created friction

On paper, the process was already “digital” (PDF + email). In practice, it behaved like paper:

• PDF applications were partially editable and contained superfluous questions, confusing applicants and producing inconsistent submissions.

• Applications landed in a shared inbox as email attachments, making tracking and version control difficult.

• Many submissions were incomplete, incorrect, or missing documents, triggering repeated follow-up.

• The team spent time copying data into multiple places:

  • An internal “applicants list” (separate list per property)

  • A credit/background check platform

  • Notes and email threads for follow-ups and exceptions

Verification steps were manual and repetitive

Before a decision could be made, admins had to:

• Validate identification (ID uploads)

• Confirm income and employment documentation

• Run credit/background checks (bankruptcy, collections, identity/employment details)

• Consolidate everything into a summary for the owner to approve

Decisioning was bottlenecked and inconsistent

Operational roles were clear but inefficient:

• Admins and office managers handled intake, follow-up, and data entry

• All final decisions went to the owner for approval

• Offer/rejection notices were sent by email, but the central list often wasn’t updated, creating confusion—especially with repeat applicants

Process Audit Findings

Our audit found the biggest issues weren’t “tools” problems—they were workflow and governance problems:

• Admin time was spent on digital paper pushing, not on higher-value screening or tenant experience.

• A credit/ID verification platform was being used largely because it was familiar, not because it was optimal.

• A cheaper, pay-per-use alternative existed with better API connectivity and stronger security standards, but it hadn’t been evaluated.

• “Automated” communications were frequently manual copy/paste work done by staff.

• Tracking across email threads and per-property lists created:

  • Duplicate entries

  • Missed updates

  • Weak visibility across the portfolio

The Solution

1) Replace the PDF with a unified web intake form

We implemented a single web form experience used across all property websites that could:

• Collect the right data (and only the right data)

• Validate required fields before submission

• Enforce consistent formats (dates, income, employer details, contact info)

• Accept and label supporting documents properly

This removed the shared inbox as the “system of record” and improved first-time submission quality.

2) Centralize applicants into one portfolio dashboard

Instead of maintaining separate lists per property, all applications flowed into one centralized leads dashboard, with:

• Property assignment and filtering

• Status tracking (new, needs info, screening, pending approval, approved, rejected)

• A record of repeat applicants and prior outcomes

• A clean audit trail of communications and actions

3) Automate follow-up correspondence with AI assistance

AI was used where it made sense: high-volume, language-heavy follow-ups.

• If an application was missing information, the system drafted a clear request based on what was missing

• Applicants received consistent instructions and next steps

• Admins could review/edit when needed, but most messages required minimal intervention

Result: faster completion of applications, fewer stalled threads, and less time spent writing emails.

4) Add basic decisioning logic, then keep the owner in the loop

We introduced a tiered decision flow:

• Basic criteria (completeness, required documents present, minimum thresholds, conflicts) were handled through rules + AI classification where appropriate.

• Once a candidate met the baseline, a final approval package was generated for the owner:

  • A single organized summary

  • Key facts and verification results

  • Clear approve/reject actions

The owner still made the final decision—but without needing to sift through emails and attachments.

5) Improve ID and income document validation

We added AI-enabled checks to reduce manual review effort:

• ID validation (consistency checks, presence of required elements, basic authenticity signals)

• Income verification support by extracting key values from pay stubs and employment documents and flagging missing or inconsistent items for human review

(Importantly: these were treated as decision inputs, not automatic approvals.)

6) Switch to a credit/background provider with stronger integrations

Because the old screening platform was used mainly out of habit, we moved to a service with:

• Better API support for automated screening requests

• Pay-per-use pricing aligned to volume

• Stronger security posture and easier auditing

This enabled the system to trigger checks automatically once an application hit “screening-ready,” rather than relying on manual re-entry.

Outcome

Operational improvements

• Fewer incomplete submissions thanks to form validation and clear required fields

• Less manual data entry by eliminating transposition across tools

• Faster screening cycles with automated triggers into the credit/background provider

• Central visibility across all properties and applicant statuses

• Cleaner records for repeat applicants and past decisions

Better applicant experience

• Faster responses

• Clearer requests for missing items

• More consistent communication and fewer “lost in the inbox” moments

Better governance and control

• Owner approval remained the final step

• Decisions were supported by standardized summaries

• A visible audit trail replaced scattered email threads

What This Project Demonstrates

• PDF + shared inbox is not a workflow. It’s a holding pattern.

• AI works best where language and variability are high (follow-ups, classification, summarization).

• Automation works best where rules and integrations are clear (validation, routing, screening requests, status updates).

• Human oversight is a feature, not a bug—especially for high-stakes decisions like tenant selection.

Want to Streamline Your Intake Workflow?

If your team is spending hours chasing missing fields, copying data between systems, and manually sending “automated” messages, a short process audit can typically identify quick wins and a safe path to automation.

Book a Process Audit