_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: Email: agbooladotun@gmail.com; Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences 15(4): 63-72, 2021; Article no.ARJASS.75467 ISSN: 2456-4761 Marital Status Equity in Tenant Selection Criteria in the Akure Rental Market Oladotun Nathanael Agboola 1* and Michael Ayodele Olukolajo 1 1 Department of Estate Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/ARJASS/2021/v15i430268 Editor(s): (1) Prof. Liwei Shi, China University of Political Science and Law, China. Reviewers: (1) Osaro Aigbogun, Binary University of Management and Entrepreneurship, Malaysia. (2) Soheil Mohtaram, Hohai University, China. (3) Musa Abubakar Alkali, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. Complete Peer review History: https://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/75467 Received 06 September 2021 Accepted 13 November 2021 Published 19 November 2021 ABSTRACT The paper examines the selection criteria for prospective single and married tenants by Estate Surveyors and Valuers in the study area, to determine fairness in practice. The survey research adopted a structured questionnaire to elicit data from a sample of Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria as Estate Surveyors and Valuers serve as both agents and property managers in the study area. Data collected were analyzed using the relative importance index (RII) and Mann Whitney U test. Findings revealed that irrespective of the marital status, the nature of employment of the prospective tenants is an essential criterion used at tenant selection. Also, there exists between singles and married tenants a statistically significant difference in the selection criteria used by Estate Surveyors and Valuers concerning 'employment' and 'ability of prospective tenants to pay subsequent rent' ; while, there was no significant difference in the tenant selection criteria in the areas of religion, gender, ethnicity, age, nature of employment, ability to pay the required rent, advance rent payment, ability to pay caution deposit, ability to pay service charge, provision of suitable Guarantors/Referee, physical appearance, suitability to the property, family size, ability and willingness to stick to the terms of the lease, criminality history/track record, first-time renters and history of previous tenancy. The study recommended that Estate Surveyors and Valuers should desist from discriminatory selection criteria differences as housing is a fundamental requirement for all, marital status notwithstanding. Also, government Review Article