Tenant Screening Background Checks

Tenant screening is how a landlord verifies a rental applicant’s credit, criminal history, and eviction history before signing a lease. A tenant screening report, also called a tenant background check, puts all of it in one document so every applicant is measured against the same written criteria. Our guide to how to screen tenants walks through the full process.

Each report includes a TransUnion credit report with a score and score factors, tradelines, payment history, credit inquiries, and debt in collections, plus a nationwide criminal background check and an eviction check covering all 50 states. Every report opens with a snapshot summary, and how to read a tenant screening report breaks down each section.

TurboTenant’s screening reports are completed through TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus. The credit report, score, and payment history come directly from TransUnion’s consumer data, and the criminal and eviction searches arrive in the same document. Learning to read a TransUnion credit report makes the numbers easier to act on.

Yes. Both are included in every report, with no separate order and no added fee. The criminal search runs against a nationwide records database. The eviction search covers all 50 states and reports failure to pay rent; judgments for rent, possession, or money; unlawful detainers; and writs and warrants of eviction. You can also check eviction records yourself.

Yes, on the Pro plan. TurboTenant checks self-reported income against TransUnion data and adds document fraud detection through Snappt, which scans uploaded pay stubs and bank statements for tampering and confirms the employer is a real business. Together they catch inflated income and altered paperwork. Here’s how to spot fake pay stubs on your own.

Screening takes three steps. Enter the applicant’s email address or phone number and send a screening request. They approve it, verify their identity, and pay the fee. You’re then notified to pull the report. Save a mailing address and phone number in your account settings first, because the credit bureau requires it before releasing reports. Most landlords start with an online rental application.

Yes. You can request a screening report using only an email address or phone number, with no application on file. An application is still worth collecting first, because it adds employment, income, rental history, and landlord references to weigh alongside the report. Identity verification expires after 30 days, so an applicant has to redo it if you request a report later.

You never collect or handle it. The report does use the applicant’s Social Security number to pull credit, criminal, and eviction history, but applicants enter it themselves during identity verification, and the report is matched against the name, SSN, and date of birth they provided. Screening applicants without an SSN takes a different approach.

Most tenant background checks take 1 to 3 days, and some come back the same day. Timing depends on the applicant: the report can’t be pulled until they approve the request, verify their identity, and pay the fee. Applicants who verify during the rental application get results fastest.

A credit freeze blocks the report from pulling, so the applicant has to lift it with the bureau before the report will generate. A fraud alert doesn’t block the pull, but it adds identity-verification steps. Neither is a red flag; both are consumer protection tools. If the report still doesn’t come through, ask for a photo ID matching what they entered on the application.

Yes. Landlords pay $0 for screening reports, online rental applications, and rental marketing, even on the free plan. The applicant pays the screening fee instead, which is standard practice for independent landlords. TurboTenant’s pricing plans show what each tier adds on top of the free account.

The applicant usually pays. With TurboTenant the fee is either $45 or $55 depending on the landlord’s subscription plan, and it’s charged to the applicant, so screening stays free for the landlord. Landlords who’d rather absorb the cost can pay it themselves. Either way, the report only generates once the fee is paid.

Tenant background checks generally run $35 to $75 per applicant across the industry. With TurboTenant the applicant pays $45 or $55 depending on the landlord’s plan, and the landlord pays nothing. That one fee covers the TransUnion credit report and score, the criminal background check, and the eviction check. More on managing tenant screening costs.

In some states, yes. States including Colorado, California, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island, New York, and Washington let applicants submit a portable tenant screening report instead of paying a new fee. Validity windows vary by state, generally 30 to 90 days. Check when a portable report has to be accepted and what it must contain to qualify.

There’s no legally required minimum credit score for renting. Most landlords set a minimum in the 600 to 650 range; below 600 is generally considered poor. The right threshold depends on the rent, the local market, and the rest of the application. Our guide to tenant credit checks for landlords covers how to set one.

Common red flags include prior evictions, a pattern of late payments, significant debt in collections, unverifiable or insufficient income, gaps in rental history, and criminal convictions relevant to the tenancy. None of these automatically disqualify an applicant. Treat them as prompts for tenant screening questions, and apply the same criteria to everyone.

A thin or missing credit file isn’t automatically a rejection. Applicants new to credit, recent immigrants, students, and some retirees may have little credit history despite being reliable renters. You can weigh verified income, bank statements, and rental payment history instead, and the questions to ask a former landlord matter more than usual here.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumer reporting agencies can’t report most negative information older than seven years, and bankruptcies for more than ten. Criminal convictions can be reported indefinitely under federal law, but many states are stricter. The FCRA background check rules explain what applies where the property is located.

Two federal laws apply. The Fair Housing Act prohibits decisions based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs how consumer reports are requested, used, and disclosed, and requires written consent before you order a background check. Written criteria applied identically to every applicant are your best protection.

Yes, significantly. States and cities set their own rules on how far back criminal and eviction history can be considered, whether source of income is a protected class, and how much you can charge in application fees. Cook County, Illinois, for example, bars criminal history checks until after a conditional offer. State-by-state rules are listed at the bottom of this section.

If you deny an applicant, raise the deposit, or require a co-signer because of information in a screening or credit report, the FCRA requires a prompt adverse action notice naming the reporting agency and telling the applicant they can get a free copy and dispute errors. The FTC’s guidance on using consumer reports as a landlord covers the details. Use our free adverse action letter template.

Yes. Tenants can access their own screening report, and many landlords share results directly. An applicant denied because of a report can request a free copy within 60 days of the denial and dispute anything inaccurate, which the CFPB explains for tenant screening reports. Sharing results early often saves a round of questions later.

Most screening services bill the landlord per report; TurboTenant charges the landlord nothing and the applicant pays instead. The report covers TransUnion credit, nationwide criminal, and 50-state eviction data in one document, and it sits in the same account as listings, applications, leases, and rent collection. Compare the alternatives in our guide to the best tenant screening services.

TurboTenant, founded in 2015 and based in Fort Collins, Colorado, is built for landlords managing 50 properties or fewer, including first-timers. More than 1 million landlords use it. Screening costs the landlord nothing, applicants handle their own identity verification, and the report arrives organized into credit, criminal, and eviction sections with a summary at the top.

Yes. Screening runs inside the same account as rental advertising, online rental applications, state-specific lease agreements, and online rent collection. Applicant details, screening reports, and signed leases stay attached to one record, so you don’t re-enter the same information in a second system.

Tenant screening rules change at the state and local level, from how far back criminal and eviction history can be considered to what you may charge in application fees. Select a state to see its tenant background check and screening laws.