What to check before you hand over the keys
Screening a rental applicant is about answering one question: will this person pay the rent, follow the lease, and take care of the property? A sound tenant check looks at:
- Identity verification — confirming the applicant is who they claim to be
- Eviction history and landlord-tenant court records
- Criminal records, applied consistently and lawfully
- Civil judgments, liens, and bankruptcies
- Employment and income verification
- Prior-address and rental history
The rules landlords cannot ignore
Tenant screening is a permissible purpose under the FCRA, which means you must disclose that you are running a check and obtain the applicant’s written authorization. If you deny an applicant, raise the deposit, or add a co-signer requirement based on what the report shows, you must follow the FCRA’s adverse-action process — telling the applicant and identifying the reporting agency.
Just as important is fair-housing law. Your criteria must be applied consistently to every applicant, and blanket criminal-history bans can create liability — HUD guidance calls for individualized consideration rather than automatic rejection. The safest approach is a written, consistent screening policy applied identically to everyone.
Why a verified report beats a self-service portal
Many online tenant-screening tools simply resell raw database data, mismatches and all — and leave the compliance entirely on you. A licensed investigator verifies records at the source, distinguishes your applicant from someone with the same name, and delivers a report built to withstand a fair-housing challenge.
Landlord questions
Yes. Tenant screening is covered by the FCRA, so you must disclose that a check will be run and obtain the applicant’s written authorization before ordering it.
Not automatically. Fair-housing guidance discourages blanket criminal bans and favors individualized assessment of the offense, its recency, and its relevance. Apply consistent, written criteria to every applicant, and follow the adverse-action process if you decline someone.
If you take a negative action — denial, higher deposit, or a co-signer requirement — based on a screening report, the FCRA requires you to notify the applicant, identify the reporting agency, and inform them of their right to dispute the information.
A standard check is typically completed quickly once you have the applicant’s authorization and basic details. We will keep you posted if anything requires additional verification.
Screen your next tenant with confidence.
Protect your property and your income with a verified, compliant tenant background check from a licensed investigator.
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