Renting out property can be risky. Tenants who skip payments or damage property can easily put you in the red. And the coronavirus has brought dark tidings to both tenants and landlords. Researchers estimate that the pandemic will result in more than 30 million evictions. That’s why we’ve gathered and reviewed the best tenant screening services.
The need for tenant screening companies has never been greater. These services allow you to run background checks on prospective tenants, allowing you to see what kind of people will be renting, occupying, and caring for your property. With this invaluable information at hand, you’re bound to run into less trouble with future tenants.
MyRental is one of the top-rated tenant screening services, thanks to its unique features and flexible pricing options. It comes in two packages, Basic and the Premium one, but it also allows users to purchase specific reports separately. Its comprehensive credit reports include your applicant’s full legal name and any alias, all known addresses, social security number validation, trade-line data, credit score, and more, making it an excellent choice for landlords.
$24.99 - $34.99
RentPrep is one of the few tenant background screening services that allow you to do a soft pull on your applicants. This is extremely important as, that way, you don’t affect your applicant’s credit score in any way. You can use RentPrep to check into criminal records, employment history, public arrests, sex offender databases, etc. Another thing we like about RentPrep is that it comes with free tutorials and useful guides to help you make informed decisions.
$21.00 - $38.00
TransUnion SmartMove is a rental screening service that helps managers and owners make smarter decisions when renting their properties. SmartMove is a product of TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, and up until now, it has conducted over 3.7 million screenings. Its in-depth reports include credit checks, background checks, eviction reports, income insights, and more. Although its pricing plans can come off as a bit costly, they are packed up with many advanced features, so we feel they are well worth the money.
$25.00 - $38.00
Verify Tenant is a tenant screening software that does TransUnion background checks. It covers a wide range of services, including debt and credit records, collections, bankruptcies, sex offenses, criminal records, etc. It also provides data on tenants’ income by confirming their employment details. Verify Tenant comes in two packages: Silver and Gold, and both of them offer instant reports. The former does not include eviction records or credit reports, though, so if you need that information, the Gold package is your only option.
$20.00 - $25.00
TurboTenant is another popular option that focuses on more than just tenant screening. It is an all-in-one property management tool. Its reports contain complete information on the applicant, including their bankruptcies, lines of credit, public and criminal records, potential evictions, etc. If you’re looking for an abundance of tenant background screening options, TurboTenant might be just the right choice for you.
$0.00 - $45.00
LeaseRunner is a service designed to cover all aspects of online leasing. Unlike some other tenant screening sites we reviewed, LeaseRunner does not have any monthly or annual fees. You simply pay for the service you are interested in. Those services include credit reports, criminal background reports, eviction reports, and financial reports. All you have to do is provide the name and the email address of the tenant, and LeaseRunner will do all the work for you.
$0.00 - $35.00
National Tenant Network is another reputable tenant screening service with over 35 years of experience. It is an excellent choice for tenant screening for property managers because of its thorough reports and custom pricing plans. It offers a lifetime membership as well as several individual services you can combine. The pricing is flexible, and it depends on your location. You also have an opportunity to pass the service costs onto your tenant.
Custom
With millions of users across 200 countries and over 18 years of experience, First Advantage is one of the industry leaders when it comes to tenant screening. If you’re interested in finding a trustworthy rental property tenant screening service, look no more, as First Advantage has all you might need. With it, you can check your tenant’s tenant’s education history, employment, and immigration status, and get a complete report on their credit history, as the company collects data from all three major credit bureaus.
$34.00 - $104.00
In order to help you reduce the risk of renting out your property to bad renters, the best tenant screening services for landlords run background checks on prospective renters. They scan government databases to see whether the applicant has a criminal record and credit agencies to see if there’s a history of missing payments or evictions. The applicant’s credit score and employment history all become part of the report.
These checks may seem invasive, but without them you’d be going in half-blind. Without the history of your would-be tenant, you’re stuck making high-risk decisions with serious financial consequences on the basis of handshakes and hunches.
However, not every tenant screening company covers all of the recommended checks, and the depth of their reporting varies. So it makes sense to shop around for the best tenant screening service you can find.
The best-rated tenant screening services don’t come cheap. But given the stakes, this isn’t a service you should choose on the basis of saving a few dollars.
Finding the optimal tenant screening service isn’t easy. Prices vary, they scan different databases, and they provide different services. We’ve picked them apart to bring you an unbiased and timely review of the best screening services on the internet. Our in-depth reviews should help you make a solid choice.
Another strong contender for the internet’s best tenant screening website is MyRental. Founded in 2010 by CoreLogic, it provides online tenant screening services to property managers, landlords, and real estate agents. MyRental is one of the rare services that offer free rental applications for applicants. In addition, it offers both a la carte screening reports and full-fledged tenant screening packages.
Features
MyRental has the most diversified tenant screening offer we’ve seen so far. There are two background check for renters packages to choose from, with the option to pay for individual background checks on demand.
Our tenant background search review reveals that the inexpensive Basic package includes previous address history, evictions, terrorist alerts, and a multi-state criminal and sex offender registry check. Since this package does not include a credit check, it does not require the applicant’s permission and the report is usually available immediately.
The Premium package includes everything from the Basic plan plus a credit report and SafeRent score. The SafeRent score is similar to SmartMove’s ResidentScore. It combines several types of data to give you an estimate of how risky a tenant is, represented on a 200-800 scale. Additionally, you can compare the applicant’s scores to the average in your area and see the acceptance rate among other landlords for people with similar SafeRent scores.
You can use this candidate for best tenant screening services free if you delegate the screening cost to the applicant. Since this package includes a credit check, it does require the applicant to provide consent via email. This constitutes a “soft” credit inquiry.
The credit report, criminal record, sex offender background check, and eviction history can all be ordered as separate background checks. The free online rental application lets you submit applications quickly and easily, allowing you to fill vacancies more rapidly.
Pricing
The Basic MyRental package costs $24.99 per screening. This is an average price for screening packages that do not include credit reports. Thankfully, it does contain eviction histories, something SmartMove’s least expensive plan lacks.
The Premium package is on par with what you get from the other best tenant screening services. It’s slightly cheaper than equivalent plans from competitors: $34.99 per screening.
You can also order individual reports: credit check ($14.99), eviction history ($7.99), multi-state criminal ($19.99), statewide criminal ($9.99), and country criminal ($14.99).
Final Thoughts
We love what MyRental brings to the table. It does all the necessary background checks for the same price as competitors – or even less. The free rental application and the a la carte background checks are a huge plus.
Next up in our tenant screening reviews is RentPrep, one of the industry’s most popular tenant screening options. The company behind RentPrep is Fidelis Screening Solutions, which started by running background checks for large property management companies. Later, the company introduced a screening service tailored to smaller property managers and landlords, which is how RentPrep was born.
Features
RentPrep offers two packages that differ significantly in what they bring to the table. We love to see screening services offer distinct packages instead of just forcing you to buy the most expensive by leaving essential features out of the more affordable.
You already know about the first of RentPrep’s packages, because we already covered it in this review of the industry’s best background check service companies. RentRep’s first package is actually the SmartMove credit report. This is the “middle” package, SmartCheck Plus, which includes a full credit report, ResidentScore, Social Security number verification, address history, eviction history, national criminal and sex offender search, and bankruptcies. Judgment and liens reports are available as a paid add-on, as is income verification.
This screening package requires the applicant’s confirmation via email. It is therefore considered a “soft” inquiry that won’t affect the applicant’s score at credit bureaus.
The other package is called the RentRep Background Check. This package includes Social Security number verification, address history, evictions history, bankruptcies, and judgment and liens. The criminal/sex offender background check, credit report, and income verification are all available as paid add-ons.
This package is a cheap background check that differs from the SmartMove version in several ways. First, the credit report and criminal background checks are not included. However, its criminal background check covers all 50 states, as opposed to SmartMove’s 44, because it’s generated manually by FCRA-certified screeners.
This package does not require the tenant’s consent. It makes a hard credit inquiry, which may affect the applicant’s credit score. Since it does not require confirmation or permission from the prospective tenant, results are ready within an hour.
Pricing
When you’re researching a prospective tenant, the best screening services from RentPrep differ in price. The SmartMove package retains its original price of $38 per screening. The judgment and liens add-on costs $4.95, while income verification is an additional $10.
The RentRep Background check costs $18 per screening. The criminal and sex offender search adds $4, the credit decision report is $9.95, and income verification is $10.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of RentRep is the variety of options it offers. You can opt for the less expensive package, which provides instant results but is considered a hard credit inquiry, or take the tried-and-true SmartMove package. With lots of affordable add-on searches at your disposal, you can determine just how much money you’ll spend on tenant screenings.
SmartMove is a tenant screening service operated by TransUnion, one of America’s three major credit bureaus. Launched in 2010, its service is used by millions – renters and landlords alike.
Our tenant background search reviews show that the obvious advantage of this service is that it’s provided by one of the three companies that supply credit reports. However, while the service is quick and the reports are thorough, SmartMove’s less expensive plans are pretty lackluster. If you choose SmartMove, you should prepare to sign up for one of the pricier plans.
Features
One of SmartMove’s unique features is the ResidentScore report. Most tenant screening services give you credit scores, which are intended to help lenders predict the outcome of extending credit to the applicant. SmartMove’s ResidentScore is a numerical value specifically created to represent tenant viability. The ResidentScore is represented on a 350-850 scale.
While conducting our tenant screening service review, we were also impressed by SmartMove’s criminal background checks. The company conducts 44 state criminal background checks, scans law enforcement most wanted lists, and checks the national sex offender registry – a pretty thorough check. You also get the credit reports, eviction reports, and “income insights” data you’d expect from a TransUnion company.
Income insights is a unique SmartMove feature – an estimate of whether the applicant makes enough money to pay rent. That’s one reason SmartMove asks potential tenants to supply additional information – income from an inheritance or pension, say, or from child support – along with permission to review the applicant’s credit history. The best tenant screening services are supposed to be speedy in their reports, and SmartMove is – if the applicant reads the email and responds in a timely fashion.
Pricing
SmartMove has three pricing plans. The more expensive plans provide more data in the tenant background check package. The first package, SmartCheck Basic, costs $25 per screening. It gives you access to only the credit-based ResidentScore and the criminal background check. The lack of an eviction report in the basic package is a big disappointment, as that is one of the most useful and important reports for any landlord.
SmartCheck Plus is a big step up – it belongs on any list of the best background check plans, as it includes a full credit report and eviction history in addition to everything found in the Basic package. The cost is $38 per screening.
SmartCheck Premium adds the Income Insight report. It’s slightly pricier – $40 per screening.
All SmartMove plans allow you to pass on the screening costs to applicants with no additional fees for you.
Final Thoughts
All in all, SmartMove is a great option for tenant screening. Its unique ResidentScore and Income Insights are useful, and it provides reports quickly. However, it’s fairly expensive and the most affordable package is too bare-bones to be worth the money.
Verify Tenant is a small tenant screening service that’s been around since 2005. Headquartered in Florida, the company says it has conducted more than 17,500 successful screenings so far. Verify Tenant differs from its competitors, as it offers two specialized screening reports that are available instantly but lack credit checks. In order to receive credit checks, you must become a member on the Verify Tenant website.
Features
Upon conducting our tenant credit and background check reviews, we’ve discovered that Verify Tenant has two background check packages on offer, plus a la carte background check services, site membership, and customized pricing packages.
The company offers two tenant screening packages: Silver and Gold. The Silver package includes checks of the national criminal record, the sex offender registry, and the terror watchlist. Neither eviction records nor credit reports are included.
The Gold Package adds the much-needed eviction history to the tenant verification services package. If you’re not rolling your own package from the a la carte menu, the Gold package is definitely the way to go.
Both reports are available instantly, since they do not include credit checks and do not require the applicant to give permission. Both the criminal and sex offender searches cover all 50 states.
Verify Tenant provides TransUnion credit reports, but to obtain them, you must become a member on the company website. This entails filling in a somewhat lengthy application, which takes some time. This is surely not the easiest or fastest way to get credit reports.
As for a la carte services, our tenant credit check review reveals that the following reports can be obtained individually:
On top of all this, Verify Tenant also provides customized screening packages.
Pricing
Let’s go over the pricing for Verify Tenant’s rental background check services. The Silver package costs $20 per screening, while the Gold package costs $25. This is less expensive than most of the best credit and background check for landlords services – and it should be, considering that it lacks a credit report. Since the Gold package includes an eviction history, we definitely think it’s worth the extra $5.
Signing up for membership is free, while custom packages are priced according to individual quotes. You need to contact the staff and work out a price.
Final Thoughts
Verify Tenant might seem lackluster when compared to some companies on our list, but its affordable, rapid services look great when you wish to run criminal background checks. If you’re looking for credit checks, other services might be more suitable.
Another widely popular solution on our list of the best tenant screening services for landlords is TurboTenant.
This company doesn’t focus solely on tenant screening; TurboTenant is actually a full-fledged cloud solution for property managers. In addition to screening, it allows free rental applications, tenant tracking, building maintenance management, and the dissemination of vacancy listings.
Features
TurboTenant advertises its screening services as free for landlords. What this means is that you’ll be passing on the costs of screening to your applicants. This is a fairly standard practice in the market, but rarely do the companies advertise it as free so aggressively. Most of Turbo’s competitors pass fees to the application as a second, optional choice – not the main way to pay for screenings.
Our tenant screening report review reveals that TurboTenant offers two background check packages.
The first, TurboReport, includes credit and criminal reports. These include the credit bureau score from TransUnion, Social Security number verification, employment history, fraud indicators, payment history, collection accounts, civil records, and previous addresses. Its criminal background check covers state-wide criminal, violent criminal, and sex offender checks.
This package includes a lot of useful reports, but unfortunately lacks the applicant’s eviction history.
The more comprehensive package is called TurboReport Pro. In addition to everything found in the less expensive package, the Pro plan adds a detailed eviction report. Our tenant screening service reviews revealed this report contains data like failures to pay rent, judgments for rent, writs and warrants for eviction, and unlawful detainers.
Both plans fail to provide any kind of employment and income reporting, which we’ve come to expect from most screening services. Other than that curious omission, both packages provide great reports. The lack of eviction data in the entry-level report means most people will choose the Pro plan.
Pricing
TurboReport costs $35 per screening, while TurboReport Pro is $45 per screening. While both plans do include credit reports, it’s still a bit pricey when compared to the competition.
Final Thoughts
When compared to other entries on our list of the best landlord screening services, TurboTenant presents a solid choice. With easy-to-understand plans and pricing, and fairly comprehensive reports, it represents a great choice for landlords – if the price isn’t too steep for you.
The last on our tenant screening services list, but certainly not the least, is LeaseRunner. Founded in 2011, today LeaseRunner operates in all 50 states, giving users much-needed help regarding the application process, tenant screening, and lease signing.
Features
LeaseRunner has earned a reputation as the best solution for small-scale landlords, and we think the reputation is well deserved. Not everyone is a full-time professional landlord, so additional help is always welcome.
An excellent background check is the place to start with LeaseRunner. This product offers eight distinct services, and you can choose to use – and pay for – one or omre of them. Services include credit, criminal, eviction, and financial reports, constituting a full background check.
LeaseRunner allows some flexibility when it comes to including the tenant in the background check process. In most cases, the process goes faster without the tenant’s participation. However, this is not a standard option with most of LeaseRunner’s competitors.
LeaseRunner is leading a green revolution in tenant screening. It is actively moving the process from printed papers to an online app.
This application allows you and your tenant to sign the lease digitally. LeaseRunner’s leases and e-signing software have been modified to follow local regulations in 50 states, so you can rent anywhere in the country without worrying about legal issues.
Another useful feature of this renter background check app: collecting online rent payments. This greatly simplifies the landlord’s job. Tenants can set up automatic payment through this app, ensuring that they are never late with the rent. It’s easy to choose between manual ACH and autopay ACH options.
Pricing
LeaseRunner does not disappoint when it comes to prices. The software makes it easy to assign the background check’s cost to either the landlord or the tenant – or to split the cost if you prefer. This flexibility is quite welcome.
With LeaseRunner, there are no monthly or annual fees and there are no charges per unit or property as you might expect with this sort of service. LeaseRunner’s a la carte feature menu lets you choose – and pay for – only those services you desire. For example, a credit check will wet you back $20, while a financial background check costs $10. Criminal record checks ($15) and eviction reports ($12) are also available.
Final Thoughts
If you select LeaseRunner to perform online tenant screening, you can expect excellent service, a great app, and a pay-for-what-you-use price structure. It’s safe to say that you can’t go wrong with LeaseRunner, especially if you are new to the landlord business.
Another reputable provider on our list of the best tenant screening services is National Tenant Network. This is an Oregon-based company with more than 35 years of experience in providing online screening services for landlords, property managers, and homeowners. The company is regularly praised for providing comprehensive and accurate information on potential tenants, helping landlords choose the right tenant quickly and according to their needs.
Features
Much like other similar providers on our list, National Tenant Network provides a selection of services that enable you to uncover more about your prospective tenants. You can opt for various screening tools, including tenant performance checks, credit reports, eviction history, criminal backgrounds, and more. If you don’t know where to start, the free online guide can help you perform your first tenant screening effortlessly.
National Tenant Network provides the best tenant screening services for landlords who want to perform a detailed search on tenants before making their final decision. The company specializes in offering long-term support for both individual investors and enterprise-level management companies.
National Tenant Network offers various services, but the one that clients seem to love the most is its verification service. With this service, you’ll get true information on your prospective tenants confirmed by previous landlords. The company’s agents review tenant’s reports and applications thoroughly by calling previous landlords and employers to confirm information. Combined with the tenant performance profile, this report provides all you need to know to make the right decision when choosing tenants.
The company usually recommends starting a rental screening service as soon as you receive applications. According to the company’s agents, the first thing you should do is to check the applicant’s eviction and lease history. Based on the information you get, you’ll know whether you want to proceed with the further background check.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, National Tenant Network differs from its competitors by offering a lifetime subscription model and several individual services that you can combine as you need. The company doesn’t offer a fixed pricing plan. Instead, the pricing is calculated based on your location, but it generally provides affordable tenant screening services. For instance, a lifetime membership in the Chicago area costs $35, plus the check you want to perform. The price for employment or landlord verification is $15 per search, while the full package is $50 per search. The good news is that you can pass the cost of the search on your tenants.
Final Thoughts
National Tenant Network offers various tenant screening services for individual landlords, property managers, and large enterprises. The company’s main advantage is that it offers an affordable lifetime membership, plus the option to pass the costs of the service on to applicants.
First Advantage from Atlanta is a company that specializes in detailed employee and tenant background checks in more than 200 countries and territories. The company won two Silver STEVIE® awards for its excellent customer service in 2021. With 18 years of experience and more than 4,000 employees in 26 countries, this screening company is firmly positioned as one of the industry leaders in the US.
Features
The First Advantage understands how difficult it is to find a tenant you can trust. That’s why it offers some of the best tenant background check reports on the market. It performs credit and social media searches, checks credentials and licenses, provides criminal background reports, and ongoing criminal record monitoring. The company checks the prospective tenant’s immigration status, past education, and verifies employment status. Basically, all the standard tenant information you’d ever need, plus some more.
First Advantage also offers some unique specialized background checks you’d have a hard time finding elsewhere. The first is Insight Advantage®, a proprietary tool that creates easy to understand visualizations of data that aids property managers in decision making. It’s one of the tenant screening services used to review new trends in property management.
Another handy tool is EasyMove™, which generates quality resident leads using the company’s screening platform. It basically connects property owners with prospective tenants. People who apply for positions that would require them to relocate can choose to answer a few questions about their relocation and in return, they get exclusive deals on rental units. Property owners, on the other hand, can use EasyMove to access this pool of potential tenants in their area.
Then there’s RightIncome™, which gives you the option to check the applicant’s bank accounts, digital wallets, and net income to avoid bad debt.
First Advantage can also contact the three major credit bureaus to perform a credit check for landlords with reviews of the applicant’s credit history. First Advantage’s databases can also be used to screen tenants for evictions and skips.
The company’s international team works in multiple languages and can run background checks in 26 countries. Award-winning customer support is ready to assist you if any issues with the report occur, seven days a week.
Pricing
One of the reasons First Advantage is considered one of the best renter background check companies are its moderate prices that start at $25 for the Select plan for one screening candidate and go up to $104 for the Premium plan.
Final Thoughts
First Advantage’s strongest point are its extensive proprietary databases. For example, its SkipWatch database contains entries made by over a million property owners across the country, with information about timely payments, lease disputes, and so on. Some of this data would otherwise be near-impossible to find, since many evictions, for example, are not properly reported to credit bureaus.
The only drawback of this service we need to mention is that you won’t know when the report will arrive since there’s no completion time estimation.
You might be tempted to ask, “Do I really need one of the best online tenant screening services?”
This skepticism is certainly justified. Like any smart landlord, you’re looking to cut costs wherever you can – especially when you consider that tenant screening can be very pricey if you’re running a background check on multiple applicants for each property. The costs can stack up quickly.
Furthermore, tenant screening isn’t an instant process. It takes time to gather and review all the reports, and you’ll need time to make a decision. You are forgiven for thinking that tenant screening is a costly and tiresome endeavor.
The advantages of the best tenant background check services far outweigh their cost, however. You’ll get better tenants who pay promptly and treat your property responsibly.
The lack of proper tenant screening can have terrible consequences for your property. Missed payments, damaged property, evictions – all stressful and costly situations that can potentially make your property unrentable for a certain period of time. That’s an expensive proposition.
That’s why we say tenant screening credit checks and other background checks are worth every penny.
Credit checks give you invaluable insight into a potential tenant’s financial history and current situation. Do they pay bills on time? Have they filed for bankruptcy? Are they in debt? How often have they struggled financially, and what kind of debt are they in now?
The best criminal background check services are equally important. A tenant with a serious criminal record might pose a significant risk not only to your property but to neighbors and other people around them.
Employment and eviction histories are also a crucial part of tenant background checks. Previous evictions are almost always a red flag, and probably a sign that you should avoid the tenant. The benefits of verifying the applicant’s current employment status are obvious: You can see whether the renter will have enough income to pay rent in the first place.
Of course, all the information gained from the best background check for landlords services should be analyzed as part of an overall evaluation. While serious criminal offenses are a definitive sign not to take on a renter, smaller violations – especially in their younger years – could be looked over. The same goes for debts: The size of debts and whether they’re connected to credit cards, student loans, or medical expenses make all the difference. A few late rent payments aren’t the end of the world if there’s a good reason.
When determining what are the best tenant screening services, we’ve relied on our trusted evaluation methodology to find the greatest service providers on the internet.
Identifying the most affordable and best tenant screening services isn’t a clear-cut process. Much of it depends on your personal preferences, the amount of money you’re willing to spend, and what kinds of background check package suits your needs the most. Here are the metrics and features we focused on in our reviews.
One of the most common – and arguably the most important – types of background checks is the credit check. In the US, the credit score is one of the most important representations of a person’s financial standing. As we conducted our best tenant screening services reviews, we looked at whether the service offers to conduct credit checks, how much time they need to fetch the report, and how credit checks fit into the company’s pricing plans.
Most of the time, you really shouldn’t consider screening services that don’t offer credit checks. Credit checks represent the main way to look into a would-be tenant’s financial history and discipline – current and past credit accounts, outstanding debts, third-party collections, missed payments, and so forth. Employment status reports usually come with credit checks as well.
Credit scores and credit reports are two different things. Some screening services only offer to request an applicant’s FICO score – a single numerical representation of the applicant’s creditworthiness. Other companies that provide the best background check for landlords offer credit reports – a much more detailed look into a person’s current and past credit, debt, and other relevant data.
In most cases, a credit check requires the tenant’s written permission (the signature on the rental application is usually counted as valid permission.) Another thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to credit checks, there are hard and soft “pulls.” A credit check based on a hard inquiry will show up on the applicant’s credit history and may deduct a handful of points from the applicant’s score.
While some of the best tenant screening sites make hard inquiries, most initiate soft ones. Soft inquiries don’t alter the prospective tenant’s credit score in any way. While hard pulls only slightly impact the credit score, it is a kindness to applicants to avoid such unnecessary inquiries when possible.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970 is a federal law that serves to guarantee the accuracy and fairness of credit reporting. At its core, it serves to protect the rights of those whose credit is being checked by a third party. It also includes a guarantee that people can get free copies of their own credit reports periodically. The best FCRA tenant screening services provide accurate and fair credit checks for tenants, minimizing the risk of wrongly representing credit scores or disclosing scores without the prospective tenant’s authorization.
FCRA compliance is not just important – it’s mandatory. The penalties for breaking this law can be steep. In 2018, RealPage Inc. paid $3 million in a settlement for failing to take all the precautions necessary to provide accurate credit reports. Hence, FCRA tenant screening services are the only ones to consider.
The best rental background check covers the applicant’s criminal history. Tenant screening companies scan various government databases to check whether the person in question has a criminal record of any sort.
In addition to the risks of renting to people with criminal pasts, having tenants with criminal records can cause trouble between you and insurance companies. While you’re not legally obliged to run criminal background checks, the insurance company may refuse tenants with a criminal record, increase premiums, or cancel your policy.
Ideally, you want the screening service to scan both state and federal databases. Many screening services scan law enforcement most wanted lists and the sex offender registry as well, giving you a more complete report.
Bulk tenant background checks are not complete without residence and eviction history checks. These records give you direct insight into how the applicant previously acted as a tenant.
First off, the current address can tell you what kind of situation they live in now and whether they’ll be able to pay the rent. If they’re currently living at their parents’ home or at a friend’s place, they may be in a financial bind and unable to make timely rent payments. Be sure to use judgment in this situation, however, as student debt, the coronavirus pandemic, and locations with high rental costs have persuaded many perfectly fine potential tenants to live with their parents for a while before striking out on their own.
The best tenant screening websites usually offer to provide you with a list of the tenant’s past addresses, as well as their eviction history, if any. This can give you lots of relevant input into whether you should consider renting your property to one applicant or another. In most cases, residence and eviction history are considered the most important parts of background checks a renter screening service provides, next to the credit score.
While all of these background checks are extremely important, the quality and speed of the reports are also paramount. If the service takes a long time to provide the reports, it can significantly slow down the whole process and your prospective tenant can be moved to another address before you learn of their sterling qualifications. In our tenant background check reviews, we focused on finding services that give you results as soon as possible.
Another thing to check is which databases the service consults. For credit reports, there are only three options: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. However, a criminal history report could include or exclude many state and federal databases. The conventional wisdom holds true here – when it comes to data sources, the more the better.
Finally, we have prices. Tenant screening services do not come cheap. However, we’ve focused on finding the best credit check for landlords that provide the most value for the money.
Pricing is generally structured in two ways. Some sites offer a la carte pricing, which means you can conduct the needed check for a one-time fee. Others bundle various services into compact packages. You’ll also find recommendations for free tenant checks, but these are limited in scope and not detailed enough to be truly useful. None of them earned a place on our list of the best services.
Landlords use a variety of tools for background checks. In addition to tenant background check services, they check references and contact employers themselves.
Obtaining a screening report is fairly easy. Usually, you require just some basic applicant information that you provide to the tenant screening service and they’ll provide you with a report. Some harder checks, like credit checks, may require the applicant to provide permission and additional info.
A tenant screening report contains a bundle of information about an applicant that’s relevant to assessing whether they’ll be a good renter who pays rent on time and treats the property well.
The best tenant screening services provide thorough screening reports that include criminal histories, sex offender checks, employment and address history, eviction history, a credit check, and proof of income.
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