How to Run a Tenant Credit Check (and the Best Services)
To run a landlord credit check, use a tenant screening service: the applicant enters their own details and consents online, and you get the report without ever handling their Social Security number. TransUnion SmartMove is our pick at $25 to $49 per report, TurboTenant builds it into its free software with applicants paying $55, and RentPrep is cheapest for credit alone at $29. It's one step in good tenant screening.
By LandlordTested editorial teamPrices checked
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Our picks
- 1
TransUnion SmartMove
Our pickBest standalone credit check. Credit report, ResidentScore, criminal and eviction checks from $40, with landlord or applicant paying and no setup fee.
8.6/10 provisionalPrice
$25-$49 per applicant
Pros, cons and who should skip itHide details
Good
- Direct from TransUnion.
- You never see or store the applicant’s SSN.
- Landlord or applicant can pay.
Watch out
- Applicants can get stuck at identity checks.
- Income Insights is an estimate, not verified income.
- Criminal and eviction data is limited in some states.
Skip it if
Anyone who needs verified income from pay stubs or bank data.
- 2
TurboTenant
Best built into landlord software. Credit, criminal and eviction screening sits inside the free application flow, with applicants paying $55, or $45 on Pro.
8.8/10 provisionalPrice
Free; Pro $199/yr
Pros, cons and who should skip itHide details
Good
- The free plan runs the full cycle: listing, application, screening, lease and rent.
- Pro is cheap for what it adds, and it removes the $2 ACH fee your tenants would otherwise pay.
- Built for owners with a handful of doors, not property managers.
Watch out
- Tenants carry the cost on the free plan: $2 per ACH payment, 3.49% on cards and a $55 screening fee.
- Some landlords feel the paid tiers add little over the free plan.
- No owner portal, so it is not built for managing other people’s properties.
Skip it if
Owners who need trust accounting, owner statements or a portal for investors.
- 3
RentPrep
Cheapest credit-only report. A full credit report with ResidentScore and bankruptcies for $29, paid by landlord or tenant.
8.2/10 provisionalPrice
$29-$49 per applicant
Pros, cons and who should skip itHide details
Good
- Real income verification add-ons.
- Clear package pricing.
- Pairs with Stessa bookkeeping.
Watch out
- Ordering now needs a Stessa account.
- Background-only package is landlord-paid.
- Income checks cost extra.
Skip it if
Anyone who does not want another account (orders now go through Stessa).
Prices checked Oct 18, 2026. Scores are provisional until our account tests are done.
On this page
How to run a credit check on a tenant
- Write your screening criteria first. Minimum income, credit factors you’ll look at, what you’ll do about evictions and collections. Apply the same criteria to every applicant. This is your best protection under the Fair Housing Act.
- Pick a screening service and decide who pays. Some states and cities cap application or screening fees.
- Send the applicant an invitation. They enter their own details, verify their identity and consent online. You never need to handle their Social Security number.
- Read the report against your criteria, with any other documents you asked for, like pay stubs.
- Decide, and send notices. If you deny the application, or approve it only with conditions because of something in the report, send an adverse action notice.
The report arrives once the applicant finishes their part. A frequent hold-up, according to reviews, is applicants getting stuck on the online identity questions.
What to look for in a tenant credit report
A tenant credit check is about one question: will this person pay rent on time? A few things answer it better than the score alone:
- Rent-related debt. Money owed to a past landlord or a utility is the strongest warning.
- Recent payment history. Late payments in the past 12 to 24 months tell you more than a problem from years ago.
- Collections and trends. Is the debt shrinking or growing? Many landlords give less weight to medical collections than to unpaid rent or utilities.
- Debt load against income. An applicant earning $4,200 a month with $1,500 in monthly debt payments has less room for a $1,400 rent than one with $300 in payments.
- Bankruptcies. A discharged bankruptcy can be several years old and say little about today.
Avoid criteria that could screen out people by a protected class, and be careful with income rules where source-of-income protections apply. Many states and cities bar landlords from refusing applicants because their rent is paid by a housing voucher, such as Section 8. If you require income of 3 times the rent, check whether your area requires you to count only the tenant’s share.
The picks
TransUnion SmartMove: best standalone credit check
SmartMove is TransUnion’s tenant screening service. Signup is free with no setup fee. The applicant enters their own details, and you choose who pays where your state permits it.
The packages:
| Package | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| SmartCheck Basic | $25 | ResidentScore, criminal background |
| SmartCheck Plus | $40 | ResidentScore, credit report, criminal, eviction-related report |
| SmartCheck Premium | $49 | Plus, Income Insights, Identity Check |
For a credit check, Plus at $40 is the one most landlords need. Premium’s Income Insights is an estimate, not verified income from pay stubs or bank data, so ask for documents anyway.
Reviews often mention applicants getting stuck at online identity authentication, which can delay a report by days. Criminal and eviction records are limited in some states.
Wrong for: landlords who want screening in the same place as listings, leases and rent.
TurboTenant: best built into landlord software
TurboTenant’s screening is part of its free plan’s application flow. The applicant applies online and pays for a report covering credit, criminal and eviction history. It costs $55 on the free and Essentials plans and $45 on Pro, which also adds income verification and fraud detection. You can choose to pay instead.
The advantage is one system: the listing, application, report, lease and rent all live together. The downside is price. At $55, it’s the most expensive report here for the applicant, and reviews mention tenant pushback on fees.
Wrong for: landlords screening applicants who came from outside TurboTenant and don’t want to set up a listing.
RentPrep: cheapest credit-only report
RentPrep reports are now delivered through Stessa, so you order through a Stessa account. That’s an extra signup step if you don’t use Stessa already.
| Package | Price | Who can pay |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Report Only | $29 | Landlord or tenant |
| Full Background Check Only | $29 | Landlord only |
| Complete Screening Package | $49 | Landlord or tenant |
The credit-only report includes the full credit file (via SmartMove), ResidentScore and bankruptcies. The Complete package adds SSN verification, nationwide criminal and sex offender searches, nationwide evictions, judgments and liens, with a review by an FCRA-certified screener. Income verification costs $10 extra with a linked bank account, or $15 through payroll.
Wrong for: landlords who want the applicant to pay for a background-only check, since that package is landlord-pay only.
Who pays, and what’s allowed
Most landlords pass the screening fee to the applicant. That’s legal in most places, but some states and cities cap application or screening fees, require you to give the applicant a copy of the report, or require a refund if you don’t run it. A few states also require landlords to accept a recent reusable screening report the applicant already has. Check your state’s current rules before you set a fee.
If you pay, a $29 to $49 report is a deductible rental expense.
The adverse action notice
If you deny an applicant, ask for a cosigner, require a bigger deposit or charge more rent because of something in a credit report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires an adverse action notice. It must include:
- The name, address and phone number of the company that supplied the report.
- A statement that the company didn’t make the decision and can’t explain why it was made.
- The applicant’s right to a free copy of their report from that company within 60 days.
- Their right to dispute anything inaccurate.
- The credit score you used, if a score was part of the decision, with the related disclosures.
Written notice is the safe way to do it. Keep a copy with the application.
When none of these fit
If you already use full property management software, its built-in screening may be simpler: Buildium charges $17 if you pay or $35 if the applicant pays, DoorLoop $35, and RentRedi $39.99. Avail charges $55 for its bundle or $30 for a single report. For a credit check alone, compare those prices against RentPrep’s $29.
Questions landlords ask
The questions we get most, each answered in a paragraph.
How do I run a credit check on a tenant?
Sign up with a tenant screening service like TransUnion SmartMove, TurboTenant or RentPrep, and invite the applicant by email. They enter their own information, verify their identity and consent online. Once they're done, you get the report. Individual landlords generally can't pull credit straight from the bureaus, so a screening service is the normal route.
Does a landlord credit check hurt the tenant's credit score?
Tenant screening credit checks are generally soft inquiries that don't lower the applicant's score, but check the service's own FAQ to be sure for the product you use. That's worth telling applicants, because some worry about it and drop out. A hard inquiry usually happens only when someone applies for new credit, such as a loan or credit card.
How much does a tenant credit check cost?
Among the services we track, RentPrep's credit-only report is $29, TransUnion SmartMove's SmartCheck Plus is $40 and Premium is $49, and TurboTenant charges applicants $55 on its free plan or $45 on Pro. Many landlords pass the cost to applicants, but some states and cities limit what you can charge. Check your local rules.
What credit score should I require for a tenant?
There's no legal standard. Many landlords look at the whole report instead of one number: rent-related debts, recent late payments, collections and whether debts are growing. If you use a minimum score, write it into your screening criteria, apply it to every applicant, and remember that if you deny someone based on their score, you must disclose the score in the adverse action notice.
Do I need the tenant's permission to run a credit check?
Yes, in practice. Screening services require the applicant's consent before they'll release a report, and getting written consent is the clean way to show you have a legitimate reason under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Services like SmartMove and TurboTenant collect consent inside the applicant's online flow, so it's built in.