Here is my spiel. I say it verbatim every time, in person and on the phone: "We do a credit check and a background check. For the credit check, we're not looking for perfect credit, just no evictions, unpaid rent or landlord actions. We don't like to see unpaid utility bills and everything else we want to get a good feeling we will get paid the rent. For the background check we verify all of the information on the application: income is 3x the rent, employment and landlord history. No felonies in 7 years and no sex offenders."
I've got my spiel down pat and I say it fairly monotonous and try to sound as matter of factly as I can. I noticed that people standing in front of me with an application were looking shocked and overwhelmed so I added the "no sex offenders" to the end. Strangely, this acts as 'comedic relief' to the situation and people perk up by laughing it off.
I don't use a credit score as I weigh certain things differently: obviously evictions and judgments for unpaid rent or landlord actions (damages) are the most important. I don't like unpaid utility bills as I think it shows a lack of priorities but it's not necessarily a deal breaker like evictions are. My first rental a couple moved in where he owed $350 in back electric bills so they put the electric in her name. They don't owe me money so it's ok with me. They split up and she left so he had to pay $350 in order to get the electric back on. Rent was late that month. Looking at everything else, if someone has 7 different unpaid phone bills, several car repossessions, and other collections then yes I am very concerned. If somebody has 10 doctor bills in collections from an accident or pregnancy, I care zero about that. If somebody has many student loans, I also care zero--which is why I don't use a credit score, they would get dinged on these issues but I don't find that they have affected my receiving of rent. Some minor unpaid bills or items in collections are ok as my target market is working class people making $10-$15/hour.
I use a screening service so I don't know if I've gotten a bad landlord reference or not? But I use that info more to check out their address history. I've had people apply saying they have been at an address for 5 years but it turns out they have been at 7 addresses in that time and moved into the last one 6 months ago. Hmmmm, you're looking to move 6 months after you just moved into a new place? Did you actually pay any rent or just the deposit? Now if they are off by a year, wrong move in date or something minor, I can let that slide but I've been saved many times by comparing what they put as their last 2 addresses to their credit report.
Missouri has a great state database of all court cases going back to 1980 or so. I run an applicant's name through that first thing. If they have a unique name, the results are fairly accurate. If their name is John Williams, I can look but I can't be sure who is who so that doesn't work as well. This is a pre-screen. I've found many people with prior evictions that I then call back and give them their application fee back. You should check to see if your state has this. Illinois has it but it is still county by county so it's less useful.
I have also started to check facebook. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, and some people have their profiles locked down pretty good so you can't see much but I look to see if I can find or learn anything. The one eviction I have had in 9 years had a bunch of "thuggish" looking people posing while holding guns to the camera on her friend's list. Not sure if that means anything since it's a single occurrence but that is something I am keeping in mind going forward. They ended up selling heroin out of my house so there maybe something to it. Another woman applied saying it was her and her 2 kids. Ok. But who is this guy in your cover photo that is posing with the 2 kids and you but is not on the application? Why is he not on the application???
I like that my criteria is strict but still allows me wiggle room one way or the other. Most of the time I try really hard not to let credit be the deciding factor since leagally they get a copy of their report and it is less cut and dried. Usually I get people to pre-screen themselves and not apply.