Best Tenant Screening Company

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Best Tenant Screening Company

Grant Anderson
Investor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2010 · 117 posts · 41 votes

Hi all I am wondering what everyone is using to screen their tenants. What is the best tenant screening company for landlords that manage their properties?

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Andrea Collatz
Englewood, CO · Member since 2014 · 101 posts · 44 votes
9y

Hi @Account Closed

I’m a representative with TransUnion SmartMove. To clarify the SmartMove pricing, the $35 screening package includes a full credit report, a criminal report, an eviction report, a ResidentScore built specifically to predict the likelihood of a bad outcome on a lease, and a leasing recommendation. The landlord can choose whether to pay the screening fee or have the applicant pay. You can find more information about the screening packages here: . Also, BiggerPockets members get a discount off the retail price which you can find on the BiggerPockets perks page.

If you have any other questions please let me know. Thanks!

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  • Kyle MccawBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Keller, TX · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    NTN National Tenant Network has a good reputation. But always go the extra mile to verify employment and landlord references. 

    McCaw Property Management4.4902 Reviews
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  • Jordan Schneider
    Wholesaler · Merrick NY & Lexington, KY · Member since 2016 · 67 posts · 22 votes
    9y

    I use the NTN, National Tenant Network.  The website is ntnonline.com

    1Reply
  • Tomasz Banas
    Real Estate Investor/Agent · Brick, NJ · Member since 2014 · 49 posts · 9 votes
    9y
    I'm also using NTN, however, MySmartMove looks much nicer. I wonder if there is a benefit of using one over the other. What I like about NTN is that once you accept a tenant, you report it to NTN and they monitor that person for you. So, if a tenant is looking for a new place and you don't even know about it , you would receive a notification that he or she is getting a credit check for the purpose of renting a new place, as long as the new place is also using NTN. Many local complexes that even have hundreds of units use NTN. I find NTN also more expensive than MySmartMove. I wonder if MySmartMove provided by Bigger Pockets is the same as the one directly from MySmartMove. Is the pricing the same?
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  • Tomasz Banas
    Real Estate Investor/Agent · Brick, NJ · Member since 2014 · 49 posts · 9 votes
    9y

    Yes, with NTN I had to go through their process to be able to see the full report (instead of just a rental recommendation).

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  • Tomasz Banas
    Real Estate Investor/Agent · Brick, NJ · Member since 2014 · 49 posts · 9 votes
    9y

    NTN did my site inspection years ago. If I remember correctly the difference it about $13. 

    $35 vs $48

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  • Kyle Doney
    Flipper/Rehabber · Golden, CO · Member since 2013 · 590 posts · 319 votes
    9y

    @Tomasz Banas Its the same thing and same pricing is same too from what I remember. I've used them a bunch. Biggest complaint is that they don't give you the actual credit score of the tenant. 

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  • Andrea Collatz
    Englewood, CO · Member since 2014 · 101 posts · 44 votes
    9y

    Hi @Account Closed

    I’m a representative with TransUnion SmartMove. To clarify the SmartMove pricing, the $35 screening package includes a full credit report, a criminal report, an eviction report, a ResidentScore built specifically to predict the likelihood of a bad outcome on a lease, and a leasing recommendation. The landlord can choose whether to pay the screening fee or have the applicant pay. You can find more information about the screening packages here: . Also, BiggerPockets members get a discount off the retail price which you can find on the BiggerPockets perks page.

    If you have any other questions please let me know. Thanks!

    3Reply
  • Tomasz Banas
    Real Estate Investor/Agent · Brick, NJ · Member since 2014 · 49 posts · 9 votes
    9y

    Hi @Andrea Collatz ,
    Thank you for the message. So, Bigger Pockets users receive $5 off. Is there a difference between using regular MySmartMove account and entering the coupon vs having BiggerPockets.mysmartmove.com account?

    0Reply
  • Andrea Collatz
    Englewood, CO · Member since 2014 · 101 posts · 44 votes
    9y

    Hi @Tomasz Banas,

    Yes, that coupon is only valid for the biggerpockets.mysmartmove.com site. If I can help with anything else please let me know! Thanks

    0Reply
  • Robin Plummer
    Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2014 · 1 post · 0 votes
    8y

    Does this service actually give a credit score ? What is the difference between a credit score and a residential score ?

    0Reply
  • Sara Barb
    Investor · Post Falls, ID · Member since 2018 · 19 posts · 16 votes
    8y

    @Andrea Collatz Reading the details on the SmartMove tenant background check. It says it runs a criminal background check on 45 states. Which states does it exclude? We landlord in Idaho; a background check that excluded the state of Idaho would not work too well for us. 

    Thanks,

    Sara Barb

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  • Andrea Collatz
    Englewood, CO · Member since 2014 · 101 posts · 44 votes
    8y

    Hi @Sara Barb

    Instant criminal results are not available for Wyoming, Delaware, South Dakota, and Massachusetts. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a note. Thanks!

    0Reply
  • Peter M.
    Rental Property Investor · DFW, TX · Member since 2013 · 953 posts · 910 votes
    8y

    I've been using Smartmove for the past few years an I like it. I am not screening tenants that often so it is good for when I need it. I make the applicant pay for the service and they get a copy of everything I see. This makes them more willing to pay for it and it keeps me from having to collect and record application fees.

    They do give you the credit score but you always need to look at the accounts anyway. Don't rely completely on the number. 

    Also, don't set up a renter profile and run it on yourself so you can see what it looks like. It's not allowed. I know because a friend tried to do it.....

    0Reply
  • Peter M.
    Rental Property Investor · DFW, TX · Member since 2013 · 953 posts · 910 votes
    8y

    Correction: they give the resident score. My mistake. 

    0Reply
  • Melissa Cocks
    Member since 2018 · 4 posts · 6 votes
    8y

    It depends on the level of screening you're looking for. 

    Tenant screening can consist of just a background check (eviction history, credit reporting, criminal background) or it can be enhanced with additional screening. For example, there are tools that will take it a step further and actually require your leads to answer specific questions before you show them the property. They will be scored for quality based on the answers of their questions.

    So you can either go with something like TransUnion, or you can take it a step further and use a tool (such as NowRenting) that incorporates the TransUnion background check, plus pre-screening questions that you can set up.

    For example, you can ask, "What type of pets do you have, if any?"

    If you set a possible answer as "large dog" and assign a substandard value to that answer, your lead will be assigned a sub-standard score. These scores make it easy for you to eliminate tenant leads that aren't worth your time.

    0Reply
  • James MasottiPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Washington Township, NJ · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 976 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Andrea Collatz:

    Hi @Sara Barb

    Instant criminal results are not available for Wyoming, Delaware, South Dakota, and Massachusetts. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a note. Thanks!

     I'm curious, do you know why this information is not available for Delaware? Of course that's the market in which I invest :)

    Podcast Guest on Show #312
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  • James Mc Ree
    Rental Property Investor · Malvern, PA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 934 votes
    6y

    I read about the TransUnion "resident score".  It looks very similar to a credit score, using even the same range.  TransUnion says it is similar to a credit score and relies on the credit report, but run through a different formula to provide data more pertinent to a renter.  Does anyone know specifically what is different in the computation of a resident score?

    I read this: https://www.mysmartmove.com/SmartMove/landlord-credit-check-service.page

    1Reply
  • Samantha Decker
    Denver, CO · Member since 2018 · 48 posts · 20 votes
    6y

    @James Mc Ree Great question! I hope I can be helpful.

    SmartMove's ResidentScore is explicitly engineered for rental screening and is designed to provide landlords with a more accurate assessment of risk for your future rental property income than a typical credit score. With ResidentScore, you aren't stuck basing your decisions with models that are intended to predict how likely you are to repay a student loan, a mortgage, auto loan, etc. Instead, you're using a score that specifically analyzes predictors of a bad rental outcome. 

    How does ResidentScore work? We review the tenant's credit history, just like a credit score. But, then run the credit history through a different formula to compile a ResidentScore. Unlike other scoring models, TransUnion's ResidentScore is powered by a sophisticated analysis of more than 500,000 actual resident records. ResidentScore then assigns a score from 350-850, with 850 being the best score possible. This score is designed to take credit report data into account when determining a tenant's score. According to TU research, ResidentScore predicts evictions 15% more often in comparison to a typical credit score!

    Keep in mind that ResidentScore is only offered by TU SmartMove. 

    Let me know if you have any additional questions, I am happy to help!

    Best,

    Sam

    0Reply
  • James Mc Ree
    Rental Property Investor · Malvern, PA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 934 votes
    6y

    @Samantha Decker I read that in the site, but it doesn't say what is different in a material way.  What does "powered by a sophisticated analysis of more than 500,000 actual resident records" actually mean?  It is followed 2 sentences later by, "This score is designed to take credit report data into account when determining a tenant's score."  How does the credit report data relate to the resident data?

    How well does Resident Score predict tenant performance?

    1Reply
  • Samantha Decker
    Denver, CO · Member since 2018 · 48 posts · 20 votes
    6y

    @James Mc Ree Hi James!

    Check out this blog, ResidentScore vs. Typical Credit Score, from TU SmartMove. It may be helpful! 

    0Reply
  • Ned J.Pro Member
    Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6y
    NTN will notify you if a tenant gets another credit check? That doesn't sound very legal to do?
    0Reply
  • Scott JohnsonBusiness Member
    Specialist · Greenville, NC · Member since 2019 · 673 posts · 408 votes
    6y

    Just wanted to say that I found this post, went to https://biggerpockets.mysmartm... and my first screening is pending. REALLY enjoyed it, @Andrea Collatz! Simple and super easy to use. Reminds me of the software I used when I was a leasing agent. 

    [email protected]
    0Reply
  • Samantha Decker
    Denver, CO · Member since 2018 · 48 posts · 20 votes
    6y

    Hello @Scott Johnson,

    Thanks for the shout out and for using SmartMove as your trusted tenant screening service. We are glad to hear that you had a great experience! If you should have any questions, then please don't hesitate to reach out. We are always happy to help.

    Sincerely,
    Sam Decker 
    SmartMove and Shareable for Hires Representative  

    0Reply
  • Andrew Frishman
    Ridgefield, CT · Member since 2017 · 101 posts · 60 votes
    3y

    Are there any online sites that combine Vacancy ads and screening tenants all in one place.??

    0Reply
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