Selection Criteria
Define criteria per listing so Locari automatically evaluates applicants — and you only need to review the most promising candidates.
On this page you define which requirements applicants must meet at each stage of your rental process. Locari automatically evaluates incoming applications against your criteria, calculates a score, and only contacts you for borderline cases.
What Locari does automatically: Check applicant data and documents against your active criteria, calculate a score, start a clarification request for borderline cases, mark applicants who fail mandatory criteria for manual review. What you decide: Which criteria to activate, what weight and tolerance applies, and whether a borderline case is accepted or rejected.
Common Tasks
- Add or edit a criterion
- Set the phase: initial review or document review
- Configure income multiple and tolerance
- Configure the response to non-fulfillment
- View the full criteria catalog
- Track criteria changes
For an overview of all applications switch to the Applicant List — bulk reject, filter by phase and status, sort by score.
How To
Setting Up Criteria
- Open the listing → tab Criteria.
- Click + Add Criterion and choose an entry from the catalog.
- Configure phase, mandatory flag, and value where applicable — for example:
- Criterion: Monthly income (3× base rent)
- Phase: Initial review
- Mandatory: Yes — if not fulfilled: request guarantor
- Save — the criterion applies to all new applications immediately.
Example for the Bauer family: Base rent 1,200 €, income criterion 3× = 3,600 € net. The Bauer family reports 3,800 € — criterion fulfilled .
Understanding Phases
Locari evaluates criteria in two phases:
| Phase | When | Typical criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Initial review | Immediately on application | Name, income, employment, pets, smoker status |
| Document review | After applicant submits documents | Pay slips, ID, SCHUFA (German credit report), self-disclosure form |
What the AI does here: In the initial review, Locari evaluates the applicant's self-reported data. In the document review, the AI reads submitted files, extracts values (income, employment duration), and compares them with self-reported figures. What you do: You decide which criterion belongs to which phase. If documents contradict self-reported data, Locari flags the applicant for manual review.
Income and Income Proof
Configure income multiple:
- Choose the Monthly income criterion (1.5×, 2×, or 3× base rent).
- Set a tolerance — default: ±10 %. Example: with a 3,600 € requirement and 10 % tolerance, 3,240 € is sufficient.
- Choose response when not fulfilled: Manual review or Request guarantor.
Income proof criterion:
- Activate the Income proof required criterion.
- Set number of months required (default: 3, maximum: 6 months). Documents older than 4 months are not accepted.
- Automatically applies to all adults in the household (primary tenant, partner, guarantor).
Response to Non-Fulfillment
For income criteria you can choose what happens when an applicant does not meet the requirement:
- Manual review — Applicant stays active; you decide.
- Request guarantor — Locari automatically requests a guarantor. Once a guarantor with sufficient income is confirmed, the criterion is marked as fulfilled.
- Block — Applicant cannot advance to the next phase.
Criteria Catalog
Personal Details
| Criterion | Phase | Configurable |
|---|---|---|
| First name provided | Initial review | Mandatory (active by default) |
| Last name provided | Initial review | Mandatory (active by default) |
| Valid phone number | Initial review | Mandatory / Optional |
Income
| Criterion | Phase | Configurable |
|---|---|---|
| Income ≥ 1.5× rent | Initial review | Tolerance, response to non-fulfillment |
| Income ≥ 2× rent | Initial review | Tolerance, response to non-fulfillment |
| Income ≥ 3× rent | Initial review | Tolerance, response to non-fulfillment |
| Income proof | Document review | Number of months (3–6) |
Only one of the three income-multiple criteria can be active at the same time.
Employment
| Criterion | Phase | Configurable |
|---|---|---|
| No probationary period | Initial review | Mandatory / Optional |
Documents
| Criterion | Phase | Configurable |
|---|---|---|
| ID document required | Document review | Mandatory / Optional — applies to all adults |
| SCHUFA (credit report) required | Document review | Mandatory / Optional |
| Self-disclosure form required | Document review | Template uploadable |
| Signed guarantor form | Document review | Only when guarantor present |
Legal note (DSK 2024): According to German data protection authority guidelines, SCHUFA and ID documents may only be requested at an advanced stage — when the selection has been narrowed down to a few serious candidates. Locari therefore assigns these criteria to the document review phase. Do not activate SCHUFA or ID document as initial-review mandatory criteria.
Other
| Criterion | Phase | Configurable |
|---|---|---|
| No pets | Initial review | Mandatory / Optional |
| Non-smoker | Initial review | Mandatory / Optional — requires consent |
| Positive creditworthiness | Initial review | Mandatory / Optional |
How the score is calculated: Locari adds points for each fulfilled criterion according to its weight. Mandatory criteria count more than optional ones. The result appears as a score (e.g. 78/100) on the applicant detail page. If fulfillment is unclear — for example income stated without proof — the criterion stays pending and temporarily lowers the score. As soon as the document is available, Locari updates the score automatically. What you do: You set whether a criterion is mandatory or optional. The weighting formula is fixed — you decide for each borderline case whether the deviation is acceptable.
Audit and History
The History tab documents every criteria change: who added, edited, or removed which criterion, with timestamp and team member name.
Important: Changes to criteria only apply to newly incoming applications. Already-evaluated applications are not automatically recalculated. On the applicant detail page, click Re-process to re-evaluate a single application against the current criteria.
Retention: Criteria changes remain permanently visible in the history and cannot be deleted — they serve as evidence in the event of discrimination complaints.
Permissions and Multi-select
- Visible to: all team members of the owner account.
- Add, edit, or remove criteria: administrators only — changes affect all future applications.
- Manage criteria across multiple listings: go to the Listing overview — you can copy criteria templates to new listings.