Cleveland, OH · Member since 2015 · 5 posts · 1 vote
So this is my first time searching and screening for a tenant. Which are the best websites to do background and credit checks?! Preferably free sites. And any other tips on does and dont's in the tenant screening process would be much appreciated! TIA
Rental Property Investor · Wooster, OH · Member since 2018 · 44 posts · 18 votes
6y
I recommend using the website Cozy for management and background checks for your properties. It will cost your prospective tenants $40 for the background and credit score check. The best part is, if they complain about paying the $40 then they are going to complain about giving you rent! You should strive to find tenants that not only can afford to give you rent but also want to give you rent!
Rental Property Investor · Concord, GA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
Probably not going to get what you need from a free screening. Most of those won't pull a credit report.
It's very easy to find a tenant if you have low standards. But probably hard to collect rent. Having higher standards is more work and takes longer. Be patient and find the right tenants.
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
No tenant screening website that is free will give you all the info you need to make an informed decision on an applicant. Have the applicant pay an application fee and run their info on a legit site. They are a dime a dozen, just find one that fits your needs.
Rental Property Investor · Wooster, OH · Member since 2018 · 44 posts · 18 votes
6y
I recommend using the website Cozy for management and background checks for your properties. It will cost your prospective tenants $40 for the background and credit score check. The best part is, if they complain about paying the $40 then they are going to complain about giving you rent! You should strive to find tenants that not only can afford to give you rent but also want to give you rent!
South Holland, IL · Member since 2017 · 374 posts · 432 votes
6y
@Jerry Pierce
Zillow does everything for you as far as credit and background check. It’s free to you but $29 per adult applicant paid electronically by applicant(s) through the Zillow site. Results are e-mailed to you instantaneously.
@Jerry Pierce BiggerPockets has recommended screening companies on their site under the landlord resources tab. You can find the link I provided by hovering over the tools tab and clicking on "landlord resources" under services.
I would recommend researching what company best fits your screening needs. Most companies will give you the option to have your applicant pay for the report if you did not want to cover the cost yourself. Some states also allow you to collect an application fee which you can use to cover the screening costs as well. I would check with your state and local laws to make sure you are allowed to do so first.
Financial Advisor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2018 · 294 posts · 165 votes
6y
I second @Todd Snyder. Cozy works well for screening. Cozy is also easy to use for rent collection if you go that route.
I would add that reference checks from the tenants prior landlord and some kind of income verification goes a long way. Income of 3x rent payments is a pretty common rule of thumb you will find.
There are tons of threads on BP that have lots of vendors and ideas on tenant screening, but I would implement as many layers of screens as you can.
New to Real Estate · Flushing · Member since 2020 · 18 posts · 8 votes
6y
Hi Jerry,
I'm in a similar boat with you right now. I just started helping my parents with tenant screening for their properties and Brandon Turner's book on Managing Rental Properties really helped me a lot. He also provides a complete file and documents for you to use during your screening process. Here is the link:
As far as additional tips, definitely keep a consistent policy. Our general rule is tenants must have income 3x the rent, credit score 650 above, no eviction records, provide 2 recent pay stubs, at least 2 good landlord references and so on. Because of COVID, we have been more selective in terms of property showings. Good luck!
Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 299 posts · 476 votes
6y
@Jerry Pierce If you're looking for a free option, there are several websites that directly charge your prospective applicants for their screening services, keeping it absolutely free for you. I recommend looking into Innago. They allow you to send your applicants a customized application, from where you can have them screened for their credit, criminal and eviction history. You get all the applicant's data from the application form as well as the reports by TransUnion to review, while not spending a dime.
First off, good for you for taking the plunge and becoming a landlord -- I wish you great success! Secondly, I love that you are considering tenant screening options!
While looking for a free screening tool might seem like the best route financially, I would encourage you to stay away from such tools, as often times the information is not up to date or cannot be used for tenant screening purposes. There are a wealth of tenant screening sites available, my favorite is TransUnion SmartMove. You can choose to pay for the screening yourself or pass the cost on to your prospective tenant. Either way, with a site as such you will receive a credit, criminal background, eviction, and Income Insights report and ResidentScore. All materials are FCRA-compliant and easy to read (which is perfect if you're just starting out!)! Also, my favorite part, SmartMove reports are delivered to my inbox in minutes -- so I can make a leasing decision pretty quickly! I hope this helps!
So this is my first time searching and screening for a tenant. Which are the best websites to do background and credit checks?! And any other tips on does and dont's in the tenant screening process would be much appreciated! TIA