Abstract:
A system and method of using a computer and computer program for rapid tenant screening using a personality assessment. The personality assessment measures tenant characteristics then weights those characteristics to predict tenant behaviors of interest to landlords. The tenant is invited to participate in a personality assessment. The computer software and processor generates an assessment report for the landlord indicating the strengths and weaknesses of the tenant&#39;s profile. The landlord uses that profile as selection criteria affecting acceptance decision.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to business practice and management in the field of risk processing and in particular to a tenant screening method and system using a personality assessment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The residential and commercial real estate management industry consists of properties with rental tenants that are screened and managed by a landlord. Prior tenant screening generally included an in-person meeting, an application form, and possibly a reference screen and/or credit screen. Tenant screening constitutes a long and arduous process with an often unsuccessful outcome. Furthermore, this process was often the subject of charges of discrimination. Therefore there remains a need to improve the tenant selection process. 
         [0003]    The employee screening industry shares a common goal with the tenant screening industry: to differentiate suitable individuals from unsuitable ones. Personality assessments designed to evaluate the suitability of prospective employees are becoming increasingly popular with employers due to their high validity, low cost, and low adverse impact. Despite their usefulness in the employee screening industry, personality assessments have never been developed for or applied in the tenant screening industry. The personality assessment component of the current invention was constructed using theories and methods that underlie all scientifically developed assessments of individual characteristics (e.g., classical test theory, scientific research method). The current invention differs from all prior assessments in three main ways: content, target audience, and platform of delivery. Content is different because many behaviors that are relevant in tenant screening (e.g. punctuality with payments, conscientious use of utilities) do not have analogues in employee screening. Consequently, assessments for prospective tenants require inclusion of different sets of personality traits and behavioral outcomes than assessments for prospective employees. Selection of relevant behaviors and personality traits for the current invention is the result of two years of proprietary research. Target audience differs from all prior assessments in that tenant screening is a separate industry from employee screening. The industries are governed by separate laws, have separate professional and regulatory bodies, and have little or no crossover in methods or research. The platform of delivery the software component of the current invention—was developed entirely and solely for use in applying personality assessments in tenant screening. It has no analogue in employment. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is one object of the invention to improve the tenant selection process for rental units. 
         [0005]    A second object is to integrate a personality assessment into a tenant selection process. 
         [0006]    A third object of the invention is to allow the landlord the opportunity to provide weight factors to desirable and undesirable characteristics of prospective tenants in a screening process. 
         [0007]    A forth object is to save the landlord time in assessing a prospective tenant. 
         [0008]    A fifth object is to automate the tenant selection process. 
         [0009]    A sixth object is to increase the fairness of the tenant selection process by reducing adverse impact on minorities relative to other tenant screening processes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides a method and system for selecting a prospective tenant for a rental unit. The invention screens prospective tenants applying for residential or commercial tenancy using a personality assessment. The personality assessment measures characteristics relevant to behaviors landlords care about. Characteristics include personality traits, attitudes, judgments, and candidness of responses on the assessment. This process is an improvement over existing tenant screening processes that rely on interviews, reference checks, credit checks, application forms, criminal record checks, rental history and/or past eviction checks. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment of the invention there is disclosed a method for evaluating the suitability of a prospective tenant for a rental unit based on results of a personality assessment. The method comprises the use of a computerized selection system comprising computer processors and software programs. The landlord identifies a prospective tenant. The system of the invention comprises an Internet portal so that the landlord can access the computerized selection system to assess the suitability of the tenant. The landlord signs into the system through the Internet portal using a username and password. An invitation is sent to the prospective tenant by email or by other means such as telephone or mail. The tenant is provided an authorization code permitting the tenant to log into the system Internet portal and gain access to the assessment forms. The forms comprises upwards of 100 to 200 statements. The prospective tenant responds to the statements online and the server records the response. The invention then applies a proprietary scoring algorithm to provide the landlord a score indicative of the suitability of the tenant. The assessment comprises statements that are related to desirable and undesirable tenant characteristics. Measurements of the characteristics are used to predict behaviors of interest to landlords. The landlord has the opportunity to customize the importance weights of behaviors in order to personalize scoring to reflect the landlord&#39;s values. 
         [0012]    A score sheet is presented to landlords that graphically presents and compares the scores for each of the prospective tenants under consideration. 
         [0013]    A system is also disclosed for evaluating the suitability of a prospective tenant for a rental unit by a landlord using a personality assessment. The system comprises a computerized selection system comprising: computer processing modules; software program modules; and, memory modules. The system also comprises an Internet portal so that the landlord and the prospective tenant can access the computerized selection system. The landlord uses an invitation module for generating an invitation to the prospective tenant to participate in the assessment. A security module provides for permissions-based access to the Internet portal and the system server for both the landlord and prospective tenant. The prospective tenant accesses a personality assessment module and by completing the assessment generates a dataset. The software modules execute a proprietary dataset scoring module and a report generating module for the landlord. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of an Internet portal of the invention for landlords and tenants. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a landlord enrollment process. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2A  illustrates one embodiment of a landlord login screen of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a “Signup” page of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a “My units” page of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a screen for modifying the importance weights of behaviors and sub-behaviors. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5A  illustrates one embodiment of a screen for choosing the comparison sample used in scoring algorithms. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates one embodiment of an “Inbox” page of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  illustrates one embodiment of a form for inviting candidates via email to complete a personality assessment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  illustrates one embodiment of a form for inviting candidates via phone or in person to complete a personality assessment. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  illustrates one embodiment of a prospective tenant login screen of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  illustrates one embodiment of a personality assessment of the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10A  illustrates a partial list of lead-in statements of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  illustrates a partial list of sub-behavior names and definitions of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  illustrates one embodiment of a list of scale names and definitions of the invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  illustrates one embodiment of a list of items/statements of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 14  illustrates a list behavior names and definitions of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 15  illustrates one embodiment of an assessment report generated by the system of the invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 16  diagrams one embodiment of the personality assessment process of the invention from the perspective of a landlord. 
           [0033]      FIG. 17  diagrams one embodiment of the personality assessment process of the invention from the perspective of a prospective tenant. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    In this submission, the term “landlord” refers to a landlord and/or the landlord&#39;s agent (e.g., property manager, building manager, site manager). 
         [0035]    The description contained in this application is exemplified by references to a residential landlord situation where a tenant seeks to rent accommodation. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be applied to commercial real estate markets where a tenant may wish to rent office space. 
         [0036]    The invention provides landlords with a method and system for assessing the suitability of a prospective tenant based on a personality assessment. The personality assessment measures characteristics of perspective tenants that predict behaviors of relevance to landlords. Characteristics include personality traits, attitudes, judgments, and candidness of responses on the assessment. The landlord is provided access to a system of the invention comprising a computerized selection system. The computerized selection system is comprised of computer processing modules, data storage modules, and software program modules. 
         [0037]    The invention is intended to be one component in a larger battery of tenant screening tools. To make use of the current invention, landlords would apply the method and system of the invention at the time of their choice during their screening battery. Landlords retain control over which other screening methods and systems are applied (e.g., in-person meetings, credit checks, reference checks, past eviction checks, criminal record checks), and the order of administration of those screening tools. For instance, one landlord may invite prospective tenants who pass the in-person interview to take the personality assessment described in this application. People who pass the assessment might then be asked to consent to a credit check. Alternatively, another landlord may use the personality assessment of the invention as an initial pre-screen, then chose to meet only with prospective tenants who pass the personality assessment. Yet another landlord may administer to all prospective tenants a reference check, past eviction check, and the personality assessment of the invention. In other words, landlords choose when and how the current invention fits into their larger tenant screening battery. 
       Initial Access 
       [0038]    Landlords and prospective tenants access the system through an Internet portal. One embodiment of the Internet portal is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and screen  100 .  FIG. 1  also shows the landlord login screen  101  and prospective tenant login screen  102 . The access to the system and method of the invention is permissions based and the invention comprises a security module so that the landlord and the tenant can only gain access to the system and method of the invention by entering valid credentials.  FIG. 2A  illustrates the login screen  210  used by the landlord.  FIG. 9  illustrates the login screen  900  used by the tenant. 
       Enrollment 
       [0039]    The enrollment process is diagrammed in  FIG. 2  and relies upon an enrollment module as part of the system. A landlord without an account  201  becomes a client of the system by enrolling using the system signup page  202  (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ), providing payment information  203 , then configuring some initial settings for their account ( 204  illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  5 A). After enrolling, the system and method of the invention are accessible by the landlord on a fee for services basis or on a subscription basis through a payment module. 
         [0040]    If the landlord is accessing the portal for the first time then he or she must create a new account. Referring to  FIG. 2A  and the landlord login screen ( 210 ), the “Create new account” link  218  takes the landlord to the “Signup” page ( FIG. 3  and screen  300 ). The “Tell us about yourself” section  301  of the Signup page collects basic personal information such as name, birthdate, and location of residence. The “Select a username and password” section  302  of the Signup page activates a security module and asks landlords to provide their email address  303 , choose a desired password  304 , and confirm the desired password  305 . A password strength meter  306  helps landlords choose a password that meets security best practices. The “What type of account would you like” section  307  asks landlords to choose an account type from a drop-down menu  308 . Available account types include various levels of subscription-based accounts billed periodically, as well as fee for use accounts for occasional users. In another embodiment of the invention, there may be a facility to provide a free screening service on a promotional basis. The payment means is controlled by the payment module of the system. Landlords are given a link  310  to the terms and conditions of service, and must agree to those terms by checking a checkbox  311  before submitting their information by pressing the signup button  309 . Because the invention is going to be revenue positive, after completing the “Signup” page, the landlord will provide a method of payment—either PayPal account information, Google Checkout account information, or a credit card number—through a secured window as shown in  FIG. 2 , step  203 . 
       Initial Account Configuration 
       [0041]    After completing the “Signup” page and providing payment information, there are some initial settings landlords use to customize their account: “My units” ( FIG. 4 ), “Importance weights of each behavior” ( FIG. 5 ), and “Comparison samples used to generate percentile scores” ( FIG. 5A ). 
       My Units. 
       [0042]    The first screen new account holders see is the “My units” page ( FIG. 4  and screen  400 ). The screen lists all the locations  404  that a landlord managers. In the embodiment of the “My units” page illustrated in  FIG. 4 , locations are displayed as elements in an accordion display that shows information for the active location. Each location (e.g., 553 Ridout St., London, Ontario) can have multiple units  406  (e.g., basement suite, attic suite, main floor suite). Landlords can “Add locations”  403  and “Add units”  405  to their account. A screen  402  appears upon the curser hovering over a unit that allows landlords to manage the information for that unit as well as delete the unit  401 . Landlords can return to the “My units” page at any time after login to manage their location and unit information stored in the system of the invention. 
       Importance Weights of Each of the Behaviors. 
       [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , landlords often prioritize some tenant behaviors (e.g., making payments) more than others (e.g., housekeeping). These priorities are a matter of personal preference and are highly specific to each individual. Landlords who hold feature rich account types are able to customize the importance weights given to each of the behaviors using a weighting module of the system. The system then takes those importance weights into account when producing scores that represent a prospective tenant&#39;s suitability to that landlord. 
         [0044]    Importance weights of behaviors are managed on the “Importance weights of each behavior” tab  503  of the “Account Settings”  500  page. The illustrated pie charts  504  and  511  display how heavily each main behavior category is weighted by the landlord in calculations of overall score (pie chart  504 ), and how heavily each sub-behavior is weighted by the landlord in calculations of main behavior category scores (pie chart  511 ). Exact percentages are shown in pie chart labels  505 . Landlords can click on any slice of the pie chart in order to change the importance weight of the given behavior. Landlords can also click on the “Reset to default weights” link  506  to reset the weights to their default configuration. 
       Comparison Sample Used to Generate Percentile Scores. 
       [0045]    To facilitate interpretation of assessment results, scores displayed to landlords are comparative in nature. They reflect how a prospective tenant scored relative to other prospective tenants (Below Average to Above Average). Specifically, scores represent the percentage of people in a comparison sample who scored lower than the prospective tenant. Comparative information is most useful when the comparison sample closely matches the landlord&#39;s applicant pool. 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIG. 5A , the “Comparison samples used to generate percentile scores” tab  521  of the “Account Settings” page accordion  522  displays options for selecting comparison samples. The default setting  523  is for landlords to use a country-specific “default comparison sample.” Those “default comparison samples” are selected by the system to be representative of the country&#39;s rental population. Default samples include the most recent prospective tenants who applied to a variety of units, with care taken so that the demographic composition in the comparison sample reflects the demographic composition of that country&#39;s rental population. 
         [0047]    Alternatively, landlords with feature-rich accounts are able to apply a customized comparison sample using a sample customization module of the system. Still referring to  FIG. 5A , customized comparison samples allow landlords a high level of control over who will be included in the comparison sample. In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 5A , the landlord may decide to only include prospective tenants in the comparison sample who applied to:
       Units managed by himself/herself  524     Units within a certain location  525  (e.g., country, state/province, city)   Units within a given price range  526     Units with a certain number of bedrooms  527     Units with a certain number of bathrooms  528     Units with (or without) shared living spaces  529     Units within certain types of buildings  530  (e.g., house, apartment building, townhouse)   Units with (or without) furniture included  531     Units with (or without) certain utilities paid for by the landlord  532         
 
       Landlord Login 
       [0057]    The sections described so far have focused on initial account creation and configuration. Once a landlord has created an account and configured it to his or her satisfaction, he or she can login at any time. Login is required to manage the account and to apply the invention to screen prospective tenants. 
         [0058]    As shown in  FIG. 2A , the login form  210  contains two primary data fields: one for the email address  212  of the account holder and another for the account holder&#39;s password  220 . The password is an alphanumeric code that was chosen by the landlord during the enrollment process. Once the email and password are entered, the landlord clicks on the “Log in” button  214 . 
       Password Reset 
       [0059]    There is also a facility on the login window  FIG. 2A  screen  210  to reset a forgotten password  216 . The forgotten password link  216  directs account holders to a password reset page. On the password reset page, account holders enter their primary email address and request an email containing a password reset link. The system then sends the landlord an email containing a password reset link. Upon clicking on the password reset link contained in the email, the account holder is directed to a page on which he or she can input a new password. After successfully choosing a new password, the account user is automatically logged in to their account on the system. 
       Inbox 
       [0060]    Once the landlord has logged in, he or she is taken to the inbox page illustrated in  FIG. 6  as screen  600 . In the embodiment shown, the inbox page  600  has four additional tabbed headers: My units  601 , Settings  602 , Help  603  and Logout  604 . The “My units” tab  601  directs the landlord to the “My units” page ( FIG. 4 , screen  400 ). As previously discussed, that page shows the database of buildings under administration by the landlord and a description of the units within those buildings. The “Settings” tab  602  directs landlords to the “Account Settings” page ( FIG. 5  screen  500  and  FIG. 5A  screen  520 ). Referring to  FIG. 5 , the “Account Settings” page is where landlords can purchase additional account credit  501 , change their username and password  502 , customize importance weights of each behavior  503 , configure comparison samples used to generate percentile scores  507 , manage who has access to the account  508 , configure reminder emails sent to prospective tenants  509 , and change the account type  510 . The “Help” tab  603  takes the landlord to a menu of help topics and the “Logout” tab  604  is self-explanatory. 
       Sending an Invitation to Complete an Assessment 
       [0061]    At the top of the “Inbox” page ( FIG. 6 , screen  600 ) is a form labelled “Invite someone to take an assessment”  605 . This is the form generated by the invitation module of the system and used by the landlord to send prospective tenants an invitation to participate in the screening method of the invention. It is the same form as depicted in  FIG. 7  screen  700  and  FIG. 8  screen  800 . 
         [0062]    Still referring to  FIG. 6 , clicking on the “Invite someone to take an assessment” link causes the “Invite someone to take an assessment” form to expand into view ( FIGS. 7  screen  700  which is the same form in a different view as  FIG. 8  screen  800 ). 
         [0063]    Referring to  FIG. 7  and screen  700 , the landlord selects the building of interest from the drop down menu  701 . The landlord then selects the unit of interest from the drop down menu  702 . The landlord is then presented with a choice of whether to send the invitation to the prospective tenant by email or by telephone/in person. This choice is indicated using the drop down menu  703 . 
         [0064]    The subsequent structure of the “Invite someone to take an assessment” form depends on a landlord&#39;s choice to drop down box  703 . If a landlord selects the “By email” option, fields for indicating the prospective tenant&#39;s name  704 , email address  705 , and a customized message  706  to include in the email  705  shown on the screen  700 . Upon clicking the “Send invitation” button  708 , the system sends an email to the prospective tenant using the name and email address provided. The email message invites the prospective tenant to complete a personality assessment by following a link contained in the email message. Landlords can also press the “Close” button  707  to close the form  700 . 
         [0065]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , when the “By email or in person” option  806  is selected in the drop-down box, the “Invite someone to take an assessment” form changes into the view displayed in  FIG. 8 , screen  800 . Landlords are shown an invitation code  801  and given instructions  802  to give the invitation code to the prospective tenant. At the bottom of the “Invite someone to take an assessment” form  800 , landlords can click on a button to “Invite another person”  804 , which generates and displays a new invitation code on the same form. Landlords can also click on the “Close”  803  button to close the form. 
       Prospective Tenant Login 
       [0066]    Prospective tenants require a valid invitation code as shown in  FIG. 8 , item  801  in order to access the personality assessment portion of the invention. Invitation codes are only valid for a predefined time (1 month), and can only be used once (i.e., one invitation code per completed personality assessment). 
         [0067]    Prospective tenants who receive an invitation by email have a choice of how to login. Following a link in the invitation email immediately logs the prospective tenant in to the system, displaying the personality assessment ( FIG. 10 , screen  1000 ). Alternatively, prospective tenants can navigate to the Internet portal ( FIG. 1 , screen  100 ) and enter the invitation code contained in the email on the appropriate login screen ( FIG. 1  screen  102 , which is the same as  FIG. 9  screen  900 ). Specifically, prospective tenants enter their invitation codes in the invitation code field  902  on  FIG. 9 , and then press the “Go” button  901 . 
         [0068]    Prospective tenants who receive an invitation by phone or in person have only one method of login. They must navigate to the Internet portal ( FIG. 1 , screen  100 ) and enter their invitation code on the appropriate login screen ( FIG. 1  screen  102 , which is the same as  FIG. 9  screen  900 ). 
       Administering the Personality Assessment 
       [0069]    After login, prospective tenants can access the system of the invention. Specifically, they are provided access to the personality assessment form generated by the system assessment form module. 
         [0070]    The personality assessment consists of statements that assess a prospective tenant&#39;s characteristics that predict behaviors of interest to landlords. Characteristics include personality traits, attitudes, judgments, and/or candidness of responses on the assessment. Prospective tenants are asked to respond to statements that may or may not be descriptive of them. One embodiment of the personality assessment is found in  FIG. 10  screen  1000 . The particular assessment displayed in  FIG. 10  is 10 pages long and would comprise about 100 statements. For most statements, prospective tenants are given the lead-in statement (an example of which is shown at  1002 ) “How much do you agree with the following statements?” Alternative lead-in statements for other items are listed in  FIG. 10A . For most statements, the response scale is Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and Strongly Agree. On the particular assessment displayed in  FIG. 10 , the statements (examples of which are listed at  1001 ) are listed on each page each with a slider scale  1004 . Prospective tenants slide the knob  1005  along the slider  1004  to a location that matches his or her choice between Strongly Disagree  1003  and Strongly Agree  1006 . An alternative form of the same assessment may use radio buttons or drop-down menus instead of sliders for recording answers to statements. With radio buttons, each radio button corresponds to one response scale anchor for a given statement (i.e., one radio button for Strongly Disagree to statement  1 , another for Disagree with statement  1 , etc.). With drop-down menus, each drop-down option corresponds to one response scale anchor for a given statement. 
         [0071]    Statements are selected automatically by the system software from a database of over 1200 statements. The process by which the system software selects statements for administration has several components. First, statement selection is partly random. Randomization enhances test security by making it extremely unlikely that any two prospective tenants will receive the same assessment. Second, statement selection is partly based on a person&#39;s responses to previous statements. Statements are chosen that are expected to provide optimal information given past responses. Third, statement selection is partly based on the importance weights for each of the tenant behaviors specified by the landlord in  FIG. 5  screen  500 . The system software selects statements that are most related to the behaviors of particular interest to the given landlord. 
         [0072]    To illustrate the process that the system follows to select items for administration, consider the sub-behavior Temper Control, defined in  FIG. 11  at  1100  as “Inclination to stay calm rather than say things in anger. Angry outbursts toward the landlord/manager are more likely to occur from people who score below average compared to those who score above average.” Suppose that a landlord has given Temper Control a high importance weighting on the “Importance weights of each behavior” section on  FIG. 5  screen  500 . The system first identifies which characteristics (listed in  FIG. 12 ) are important for the prediction of the Temper Control sub-behavior. In the case of Temper Control, the characteristic scale of Anger ( 1202 ) is of primary importance, defined as “Tendency to experience and show anger. Includes becoming irritated easily and proneness to losing temper.” Because the prospective tenant has not yet made any responses on the personality form, the system assumes that he or she is about average on the Anger scale. The pool of Anger items currently consists of 33 items. From this pool of 33 Anger items, there may be 5 items known from research to provide optimal information for people with average levels on Anger. The system would then choose one of those 5 optimal items at random to be administered. For example, referring to  FIG. 13 , the system might administer item  26 —“When people yell at me, I yell back.”  1302 . If the prospective tenant agrees with the statement, the system infers that the prospective tenant is likely above average on the Anger scale. The next Anger item administered may be on the next page of the assessment (page  2 ). That item is chosen at random from a pool of items known based on previous research to provide optimal information for people suspected of being above average on the Anger scale. The prospective tenant might strongly agree with that item. If so, the next Anger item (on the third page) is chosen at random from the pool of items known to optimize information for people with a similar level of Anger as the prospective tenant&#39;s responses thus far would suggest he or she possesses. 
         [0073]    This process—random selection from a pool of items that optimize prediction based on past responses—continues until a stopping criteria is met. The stopping criteria is that a certain level of measurement precision has been reached for the given scale, or that a predefined number of items has been administered (e.g., system stops administering Anger items after a maximum of 10 Anger items has been displayed). Given that Temper Control is of high importance to the landlord, the system may aim to obtain a higher level of measurement precision on the Anger scale than on other scales. That higher degree of measurement precision may require administration of more Anger items than would have been administered if Temper Control was less important to the landlord. If Temper Control was very unimportant to the landlord, the system may not have administered any Anger items, thus shortening the assessment and the time required to complete it. 
         [0074]    Once stopping criteria for all scales has been met, and the prospective tenant has answered all statements, the software records that the dataset is complete and is ready for subsequent scoring. 
       Scoring the Personality Assessment 
       [0075]    Scoring the personality assessment consists of 5 main steps. These steps are outlined below and described in the paragraphs that follow.
       1. Calculate scale raw scores   2. Calculate sub-behavior raw scores   3. Calculate main behavior raw scores   4. Calculate raw overall scores   5. Convert raw scores to percentile scores       
 
         [0081]    In step 1, item responses are used to calculate scale raw scores.  FIG. 13  shows a list of random statements or “items”  1300  selected from the statement pool of over 1200 items held in the system database. Each item measures one of over 60 tenant characteristics or “scales.” A random sample of scale names and their definitions is provided in  FIG. 12 . For example, item  26  on  FIG. 13  “When people yell at me, I yell back” is an item/statement measuring the scale of Anger, defined as “Tendency to experience and show anger. Includes becoming irritated easily and proneness to losing temper”. Agreeing (or disagreeing) with the “yells back” statement would affect a person&#39;s scores on the Anger scale. In the initial embodiment of the invention, scale raw scores will be simple averages of all the items answered that measure the given scale. In a later embodiment (after a year of data-collection in which the system learns about the items), scale raw scores will be weighted averages. More precisely, scale raw scores will then be theta scores that represent estimates of underlying levels on the scale. Thetas are calculated using a combination of the prospective tenant&#39;s responses to the items and the item difficulty and discrimination parameters of those items. Calculations for theta will follow Samejima&#39;s (1973) method for continuous items. 
         [0082]    In step 2, scale raw scores are used to calculate sub-behavior raw scores. A sample of sub-behaviors in one embodiment of the invention is provided in  FIG. 11 . Sub-behaviors (and main behaviors) were selected to represent all categories of tenant behavior that at least 1 in 1000 landlords report caring about. They were derived based on a year of proprietary research. Each scale may contribute to the scoring of one or more sub-behaviors. For example, the Anger scale may be heavily weighted in calculating the sub-behavior labelled Temper Control. The Anger scale may also contribute to scores on the Revenge sub-behavior, though may contribute less to Revenge scores than to Temper Control scores. The exact weights used to produce sub-behavior raw scores from scale raw scores will be propriety and secret. They will be regression weights that optimize prediction of the sub-behaviors. Those regression weights will be determined based on empirical research. 
         [0083]    In step 3, sub-behavior raw scores are used to calculate main behavior raw scores. The main behaviors and their definitions in one embodiment of the invention are provided in  FIG. 14 . Like the sub-behaviors, main behaviors were derived based on a year of proprietary research. Main behavior raw scores are a weighted average of sub-behavior raw scores. Specifically, sub-behaviors raw scores are multiplied by the importance weights specified by the landlord in  FIG. 5 , screen  500 . The sum of those products is divided by the number of sub-behaviors. The result is a weighted average representing the main behavior raw score. 
         [0084]    In step 4, main behavior raw scores are used to calculate overall raw scores. Overall scores represent a holistic summary of the degree to which a prospective tenant is suitable for a given landlord. Just as main behavior raw scores are a weighted average of sub-behavior raw scores, overall raw scores are a weighted average of main behavior raw scores. Main behavior raw scores are multiplied by the importance weights specified by the landlord in  FIG. 5 , screen  500  and then averaged to produce the overall raw score. 
         [0085]    In step 5, raw scores are converted to percentile scores. Raw scores on scales, sub-behaviors, and main behaviors have limited interpretability. It would be difficult to know whether any given raw score (e.g., 1.38) is good or bad. To increase interpretability, raw scores are converted to percentile scores. Percentile scores compare a given raw score against raw scores of similar prospective tenants as defined in a comparison sample. The comparison sample is defined by the landlord in the “Comparison samples used to generate percentile scores” section of settings page (illustrated in  FIG. 5A , section  521 ). For example, the comparison sample may consist of applicants who have applied to units owned by that landlord, or all applicants who have applied to 1 bedroom units within a given city or distance. Percentiles reflect the number of prospective tenants in the comparison sample who scored lower than did the current individual. The exact calculation of percentile scores is as follows: (number of applicants in the comparison sample scoring lower than the applicant+½ the number of applicants in the comparison sample scoring equal to the applicant)/(number of applicants in the comparison sample). 
         [0086]    All scoring is done by the server using a scoring module with proprietary scoring algorithms. Raw scores are calculated at the time that an assessment is completed. Percentile scores are calculated at the time that results are presented to the landlord. The scoring key is never shared with landlords. 
       Comparing Results of Prospective Tenants 
       [0087]    Landlords login using  FIG. 2A  screen  210  to view personality assessment scores of prospective tenants. Upon login, landlords are automatically directed to the “Inbox” page displayed in  FIG. 6 , screen  600 . 
         [0088]    Results comparing prospective tenants are visually displayed in section  608 . In the embodiment of the invention depicted in  FIG. 6 , overall scores are displayed for each prospective tenant using color-coded bars  609 . Bars reflect percentile scores. Scores below the 25 th  percentile are highlighted in red; scores between the 25 th  and 50 th  percentiles are highlighted in orange; scores above the 50 th  percentile are highlighted in green. Anchors are provided at the low end (Below Average), middle (Average) and high end (Above Average) of the percentile scale. Contact information and notes on prospective tenants appear in screen  610  upon hovering over any given tenant. Landlords can use screen  610  to manage contact information of prospective tenants (e.g., add/edit/delete phone numbers or email addresses), and add/edit/delete notes. 
         [0089]    Landlords control which prospective tenants are displayed in the scoring section  608  using the “Filter results by . . . ” section  606 . Clicking on the “Filter results by . . . ” link  611  makes section  606  visible. Landlords can opt to only display prospective tenants applying to a particular location, particular unit, and/or within a particular time frame. Landlords also control the maximum number of results to display, and how results are sorted. 
         [0090]    Clicking on the name, overall score, or the “view full report” link  607  for any prospective tenant brings up that person&#39;s full report. 
       Full Reports for Personality Assessment Results 
       [0091]      FIG. 15  is a depiction of one embodiment of the full assessment report  1500  generated by the report module and presented to the landlord. The given embodiment of the report lists all the main behaviors  1506  and sub-behaviors  1504  that have non-zero importance weightings. 
         [0092]    Hovering over any behavior or sub-behavior automatically displays the definition  1505  of that behavior or sub-behavior. 
         [0093]    Based on the responses of the prospective tenant on the personality assessment, and based on the scoring applied by the software, the results of the assessment are displayed as horizontal bars  1502  next to the corresponding behaviors and sub-behaviors. Consistent with the “Inbox” page, the report highlights in red scores that are below the 25 th  percentile; scores between the 25 th  and 50 th  percentile appear in orange; scores above the 50 th  percentile appear in green. Anchors are provided at the low end (Below Average), middle (Average) and high end (Above Average) of the percentile scale. The overall score  1501  is also shown at the top of the report. A “Candidness of responses” score appears at the bottom of the report. The candidness of responses score indicates the degree to which the tenant was providing candid answers on the assessment rather than trying to distort responses to create a favourable impression. All else being equal, landlords are instructed to favour prospective tenants who responded with high candour over those who responded with low candour. 
         [0094]    Other embodiments of the report may display raw scale scores in addition to or instead of percentile scores. Other embodiments may also display the scale scores in addition to or instead of the behavior and sub-behavior scores. 
         [0095]    In the case shown in  FIG. 15 , the overall score is between Average and Above Average. Though the overall score may appear satisfactory, and the candidness score is high, the landlord may still reject the prospective tenant due to low scores on some sub-behaviors. Specifically, the report indicates that the person in the report may be disposed toward bad housekeeping habits and anger control issues. 
       Decision to Accept or Reject the Prospective Tenant 
       [0096]    The invention outlined in the current document represents a new method and system for screening prospective tenants. It is a method and system that evaluates a prospective tenant&#39;s suitability based on that person&#39;s responses to a personality assessment. Though information provided by the current invention is designed to be inherently useful for guiding tenant acceptance decisions, the invention is also intended to be one component in a larger selection battery. Other components of the selection battery may include credit checks, in-person interviews, and reference checks, to name a few. The system recommends to landlords that final acceptance or rejection decisions take into consideration all available sources of information. 
         [0000]    Process from Landlord&#39;s Perspective 
         [0097]      FIG. 16  illustrates a flow chart showing the primary steps of using the tenant screening system of the invention. At  1601  the landlord will open an account with the system provider and undergo an enrollment process. At  1602  the landlord will login to the system using his or her username and password. At  1603  once logged in the landlord can send an invitation to the prospective tenant to participate in the personality assessment. At  1604  the landlord will wait for the prospective tenant to complete the assessment form and may send reminders to prospective tenant if the results are not received into the system by a specified deadline. At  1605  the tenant has completed the personality assessment and the data is sent to the server where the responses of the tenant are scored using a proprietary scoring algorithm  1606 . At  1607  the landlord logs into the system portal to access the inbox at  1608  and compare the results between a numbers of prospective tenants. At  1609 , where the landlord wishes to view a full report of a perspective tenant the full report with interpretive information is made available. At  1610 , the landlord may opt for additional screening tools such as credit or criminal record checks. At  1611  the landlord will make a final decision on which of the prospective tenants is permitted to rent the unit. 
         [0000]    Process from Perspective of Tenant 
         [0098]    Referring to  FIG. 17 , the landlord can send the tenant an invitation to participate in the personality assessment either by email at  1701  or verbally by telephone or in writing at  1706 . If by email, the prospective tenant will follow the link provided in the email at  1702 . The link takes the prospective tenant to the personality assessment  1703 . The prospective tenant completes the assessment and the system server scores the assessment results using a proprietary scoring algorithm  1704 . The results are presented to the landlord who makes a decision  1705  as to who will be renting. Where the invitation is delivered by means other than email, the prospective tenant will log in to the server through the system Internet portal  1707 . The prospective tenant will enter the invitation code at  1708  and then be taken to the assessment at  1703 . 
         [0099]    The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe possible embodiments of the present exemplary system and method. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the system and method to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the present invention system and method be defined by the following claims.