A template for each kind of applicant
Build your lists for employed applicants, self-employed applicants and applicants with a guarantor once, then start each request from the one that fits.
Create a templateUse case
Tenant applications, complete before the unit sits empty.
For property managers and landlords: send each applicant one checklist when they apply, let reminders chase what's missing, and see whose application is complete.
Last updated · Facts checked
How it works
One application, four steps.
The same start for an employed applicant, a self-employed one or one with a guarantor.
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1
Pick the template
One list for each kind of applicant.
Start the request from your application template, then add or remove documents for this applicant and unit.
Create a template -
2
Send a private link
One link, no account.
Set a due date that fits how fast you fill the unit and send. Your applicant uploads from a phone or computer, and their progress is saved.
Create a request -
3
Let reminders follow up
Only what's missing, until it's in.
By default, reminders go out 3 and 7 days after you send the request and shortly before the due date, listing only what's outstanding.
How automatic reminders work -
4
Review each file
Approve it, or ask for it again.
Approve each document, or ask for a replacement when a pay stub is old or a statement is missing pages. The earlier file stays in the history.
Ask a client for a replacement file
Start the request from your application template, then add or remove documents for this applicant and unit.
for Avery Linwood · Due 6 Nov
Private upload link · what Avery Linwood seesNo account needed
F
Fernway Property Management
Documents requested for
Due 6 Nov
Upload a few, leave some missing, then see what the reminders do.
Default schedule
Features
What gets an application complete, not almost.
A note on each document
Say what a document should show. Your applicant sees the line under that document's name.
Add, remove or rename requested documentsDue dates that fit the unit
Give each application a due date that fits how fast you fill the unit. It turns amber in its last three days and red once it's overdue.
Due dates and overdue requestsReplacements with a note
An old pay stub, a cropped ID, a guarantor's statement with pages missing: ask again with a note shown next to that document.
Ask a client for a replacement fileApplicant notes
When a document doesn't apply, your applicant says so in a note from their upload page instead of leaving a gap.
Read and reply to client notesZIP download for your records
Download an applicant's documents as one ZIP for your property management software. GarnerDocs deletes them after your retention period.
Download all files as a ZIPAn application, start to finish
Before you list a unit, build a template for each kind of applicant you see: employed, self-employed, and applicants with a guarantor. Each request gets its own copy to tailor.
When someone applies, add them as a client: a name and an email address. Create their request from the template that fits, remove what doesn't apply and set a due date that fits how fast you fill the unit. Your applicant gets one private link for the whole list, with no account or password.
As files arrive, reminders chase only what's still missing. If a pay stub is out of date or a statement is missing pages, ask for a replacement with a note your applicant sees next to that document.
When it's all in, approving the last document completes the request, and you can see at a glance whose application is complete. Download the files into the system you already use. GarnerDocs deletes them after the retention period you choose.
Guarantors and self-employed applicants
A guarantor's documents can sit in the applicant's request, or you can add the guarantor as a client and send them their own request, so their ID and proof of income come straight to you. A signed guarantor form is uploaded like any other document: a photo or scan of the signed page. GarnerDocs doesn't do e-signatures.
Self-employed applicants often have no pay stubs. Start their request from a self-employed template, or remove the pay stubs and add what you accept instead. Applicants can also leave a note to explain what they've sent.
Example checklist
Identity
- Photo ID
Income
- Proof of income
- Recent pay stubs, or an offer letter for a new job
History
- Prior landlord reference
Guarantor
- Guarantor documents, such as their ID and proof of income
This isn't a list of what any applicant is required to provide. Your own criteria set what you ask for.
Fair housing and what you ask for
Under fair housing rules, applicants must be treated consistently, and what your business asks them for is your decision, not GarnerDocs's. See Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act on hud.gov (checked on 19 October 2026). This page isn't legal advice.
What GarnerDocs doesn't do
GarnerDocs does one job: getting documents from your applicants and tenants to you, complete and checked. It doesn't screen tenants or run credit or background checks, it doesn't verify IDs or income, and it doesn't decide who gets the unit. It isn't property management software, and it doesn't connect to yours. Files are stored privately with encryption and only your team can download them. Read how on the Security page.
Questions
Do applicants need to create an account?
No. They open the private link you send them and upload from a phone or computer, with no registration and no password. Their progress is saved, so they can finish later.
Does GarnerDocs screen tenants or run credit checks?
No. GarnerDocs collects the documents your applicants upload, and your team reviews them. It doesn't screen applicants, run credit or background checks, verify IDs or income, or decide who gets the unit.
Can a guarantor upload their own documents?
Yes. Add the guarantor as a client and send them their own request, so their documents come straight to you. Or keep their documents in the applicant's request, if that's how you work.
What if an applicant is self-employed and has no pay stubs?
Start their request from a self-employed template, or remove the pay stubs and add what you accept instead. Applicants can also explain in a note from their upload page.
How long are applicants' documents kept?
For the retention period your team chooses: 30, 90, 180 or 365 days after a request is completed. Then they're deleted, and your workspace's owner is emailed 14 and 3 days before. Download what you need into your own records first.
Related
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For property managers
Applicants and renewing tenants: send each person one list through a private link, set a due date that fits the unit, and let reminders chase what's missing.
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Checklist
Tenant application checklist for US property managers
Typical documents to collect from a rental applicant and a guarantor, with "why we ask" lines, and why every applicant gets the same list.
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Templates
Create a template
Save a checklist you send often, then start new requests from it.
Spend less time chasing. More time doing the work that matters.
Make document collection the easiest part of working with your clients.
Start your free trial
No credit card required.