Screening renters at Azibo

Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
  • Product Manager
  • Engineering Manager
  • QA
  • Marketing
  • Customer Success
Timeline
1 month
Platform
Web and mobile web

Problem

We launched Renter Screening, but like many initial releases, it wasn’t quite hitting the mark. The landlord experience lacked customization, and additional features were needed.

Solution

I led the design of the new screening experience, balancing user and business goals to deliver a more flexible and thoughtful experience for landlords and applicants.

Result

The redesigned experience increased applicant completion by 30%, increased completed background checks by 23%, and achieved full compliance with Washington requirements.

Challenge

From regulation to product opportunity

A new Washington State regulation required landlords to be able to pay part of a renter’s background check fee. Instead of treating this as a compliance-only project, I used it as an opportunity to improve the full screening experience.

Goals

The targets were simple and measurable

100%

Compliance

+20%

Landlord invitations

+20%

Applicant completion

Azibo web and mobile web product screens

Research insight

Landlords wanted confidence, not legal complexity

“I don’t want to make a mistake that could hurt my rental business.”
Common landlord concern

Landlord behavior

Fear of making a mistake
↓
Needs clear guidance
↓
Feels confident screening renters
↓
More likely to complete screening

What I learned

  • Landlords were worried about compliance.
  • Screening helped them feel more confident choosing renters.
  • The product needed to guide them without exposing regulatory complexity.

Design principles

The experience had to make a complex task feel manageable

Clarity

Know what to do, what it costs, and what happens next.

Confidence

Make landlords feel they are taking the correct action.

Speed

Remove unnecessary steps for landlords and renters.

Design system work

Consolidating applicant cards into one scalable system

The screening workflow depended on applicant cards across multiple states. I used the redesign to reduce duplication and create a reusable component model.

Before: applicant card variations

Before · 15+ applicant card variations

After · One scalable component system

Product screens

Guidance became part of the interface

Renter Screening dashboard with application and background-check status Clear next action Screening status visible at a glance Reduced decision-making

Make the landlord path obvious

I reduced the number of competing decisions and made the next screening action visible from the main dashboard, so landlords could move forward without decoding the workflow.

  • Primary action stays close to the screening context.
  • Status treatments make progress and risk visible.
  • Filters and card hierarchy support repeat use.

Keep applicants moving on mobile

The applicant experience needed to feel direct and lightweight. The mobile flow focuses each step on one clear action so completion can happen without landlord handholding.

  • Simple sequence of applicant tasks.
  • Reduced cognitive load on renters.
  • Clearer handoff between landlord and applicant.
Landlord pays screening fee Compliant
Split fee with applicant Optional
Applicant pays full fee State dependent

Handle compliance inside the flow

Instead of pushing regulation into help text, the fee model made compliant choices available at the moment landlords configured screening.

  • Compliance handled inside the flow.
  • Fee decisions framed in plain language.
  • Less regulatory complexity exposed to landlords.

Results

The redesign exceeded the completion target

+30% Applicant completion
+23% Completed background checks
100% WA compliance
Applicant completion Target: +20% · Result: +30%
Target +20%
Result +30%
Completed background checks Result: +23%
Result +23%
Compliance Target: 100% · Result: 100%
Target 100%
Result 100%

More completed screenings also meant more revenue for Azibo.

Business impact

How better UX connected to product growth

Better guidance
More confident landlords
More screening invitations
More completed applications
More background checks
Revenue growth

Recognition

Recognized for product and design impact

GDUSA UX/UI + Interactive Experience Award
Azibo Impact Award Internal recognition
Hackathon Winner Company-wide hackathon

What started as a compliance request became an opportunity to improve the product, the business, and the system behind it.

User experience + Business growth + Scalable design system