Pre-Screening Chicago Renters by Text: What to Ask Before a Showing

Pre-Screening Chicago Renters by Text: What to Ask Before a Showing

"Is this still available?"

If you list Chicago rentals, you get that text all day. It comes from Zillow, Facebook Marketplace, a yard sign, and a friend of a friend. Some of those people are ready to apply this week. Some are just looking. You can't drive to a showing for every one of them, so you need a short pre-screen that every renter gets before a tour is booked.

The tricky part in Chicago is that a pre-screen is also where landlords get into trouble. A question that looks harmless in a text can run into city, county, or state rules. This guide covers what to ask, what to leave for later, and how to keep the texts consistent. It's for landlords, property managers, and leasing agents. It is not legal advice. If you're unsure about your own screening criteria, talk to an Illinois attorney.

Why one pre-screen for every renter

In a BiggerPockets thread on pre-screening, an operator described inquiries arriving from Facebook, Zillow, signs, and more. He asked how others handle canned messages like "Is this still available?" The replies kept giving the same advice. One real estate agent wrote that "every lead gets the same first step before a showing is even discussed." Another reply said that "Is this still available?" messages are "where most landlords lose momentum."

Consistency also protects you. When every renter gets the same questions in the same order, you aren't making it up as you go for one person and not another.

What you can ask before a showing

These questions help you decide whether a showing makes sense:

1. Move-in date. "When are you hoping to move in?" If the unit is open November 1 and they need March, you both save a trip.
2. Monthly budget. "What monthly rent are you looking for?" Ask it the same way every time.
3. Bedrooms and how many people will live there. Ask about the number of occupants. Don't ask about children, family plans, or ages.
4. Pets. "Any pets? What kind?" Pet policy is a normal step-one criterion. (Assistance animals for a disability are handled differently, so don't treat them as pets.)
5. Income, counted from all sources. If you have an income requirement, ask about total monthly household income from all lawful sources, not "Where do you work?"
6. Which listing and which neighborhood. Confirm which unit they mean, then offer real showing times.

The Cook County Commission on Human Rights lists the same kinds of items for the first step of screening. In its Just Housing Amendment FAQ, step one is checking "application criteria such as income, rental history, credit score, pets, etc."

What to leave out of the pre-screen

Criminal history

Cook County, which includes Chicago, passed the Just Housing Amendment in April 2019. Enforcement began February 1, 2020. It splits screening into two steps. Per the county's 2025 JHA evaluation report and its applicant FAQ:

• Housing providers can't put a question on an application asking whether someone has a criminal background.
• A background check can only run after the applicant has been pre-qualified on everything else.
• Only convictions from the last three years can be considered, and an arrest without a conviction can't be.
• Before accepting an application fee, the provider has to share the written tenant selection criteria, the applicant's right to dispute the record, and a link to the Commission.

For a text pre-screen, that means one thing: don't ask about records, arrests, or "anything we should know about" in the first messages. That question comes later, after pre-qualification, and only if you run checks at all.

Source of income

Chicago's Fair Housing Ordinance protects lawful source of income. That includes Housing Choice Vouchers. The city's Commission on Human Relations says in its Section 8 and source-of-income guide that statements like "No Section 8" or "Not set up for Section 8" are violations. It also says the ordinance applies to all Chicago housing units, regardless of building size or owner occupancy.

Statewide, source of income became protected under the Illinois Human Rights Act on January 1, 2023 (Illinois REALTORS). The Illinois Department of Human Rights FAQ gives examples of possible discrimination. Among them: preferring tenants with employment income, screening out applicants who receive Social Security, and rejecting applicants who can't provide paystubs or W-2s.

So skip "Do you have a job?" and "Are you on Section 8?" in your texts. Ask about total monthly income and apply the same rule to everyone.

Protected characteristics

Chicago's Fair Housing FAQ lists the protected classes. They include race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age (over 40), disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, parental status, military status, and lawful source of income. The Illinois Human Rights Act also bars discrimination based on an arrest record in real estate transactions (775 ILCS 5/3-102; current text in Public Act 102-0896).

Leave all of that out of the pre-screen. That includes "fit" questions about the renter and opinions about the area, like whether a block is "safe" or "good for families." Answer questions about the unit: rent, size, pets, parking, laundry, and availability.

A sample text pre-screen (example listing)

Renter: Is this still available?

You: Hi! Yes, the 2-bed is available starting November 1. Rent is $1,900/month. Quick questions so I can find you a showing time: when do you want to move in, and how many people will live in the unit?

Renter: December 1, two of us.

You: Thanks. Any pets?

Renter: One cat.

You: Cats are OK here. I have Thursday at 6:00 PM or Saturday at 11:00 AM. Which works?

That's four short texts and you have a showing on the calendar. There's nothing about jobs, vouchers, records, or family. When they apply, send your written tenant selection criteria with the application link.

Keep it the same every time

• Write your questions down once. Use them for every source: Zillow, Marketplace, signs, and referrals.
• Save your answers to the common questions. Rent, deposit, pet policy, utilities, parking, and move-in date.
• Put the written criteria with the application, not in the first text. That's what the JHA expects before an application fee.
• Log who got which questions and when. If someone ever asks, you can show that everyone got the same process.

How Sarah AI handles the first texts

Sarah AI is a 24/7 SMS assistant for Chicago real estate agents, small brokerages, property managers, and landlords. When a renter texts your listing number, Sarah:

• Says it's an AI assistant in the first text
• Asks the same questions every time: neighborhood, monthly budget, bedrooms, pets, and move-in timing
• Matches listings from your Google Sheet and answers questions about the property
• Offers open times and books the showing on your Google Calendar, then sends reminders and handles reschedules
• Alerts you with the renter's details, so you can take over from the agent dashboard

Sarah doesn't give legal advice, doesn't negotiate, and doesn't steer renters based on protected characteristics. Your application, written criteria, and any background check stay with you. See pricing for plans, or start with the free 2-week supervised pilot.

FAQ

Can I ask about criminal history in a text before a showing in Chicago?

No, not in the pre-screen. Under the Cook County Just Housing Amendment, which covers Chicago, criminal history can only come up after an applicant is pre-qualified on everything else. Only convictions from the last three years can be considered, and arrests without a conviction can't be. Talk to an Illinois attorney about your own criteria.

Can I ask a renter where they work?

It's safer to ask about total monthly income from all lawful sources. Chicago and Illinois protect source of income, including Housing Choice Vouchers. The Illinois Department of Human Rights lists rejecting applicants who can't provide paystubs or W-2s as an example of possible discrimination.

What should a first reply to "Is this still available?" include?

Confirm availability and rent, then ask move-in date and how many people will live in the unit. Ask about pets in the next text. Then offer two or three real showing times. Send the same questions to every renter.

Does Sarah AI run background checks or decide who gets a lease?

No. Sarah handles the first texts: it asks about neighborhood, monthly budget, bedrooms, pets, and move-in timing, matches your listings, and books showings. Applications, screening criteria, and leasing decisions stay with you.

Book a demo

Want to see a consistent pre-screen run by text, start to finish? Book a demo. We'll show you a renter's first text, the qualifying questions, a Google Sheet match, and a showing booked on Google Calendar.