Where should I run the report?

[Neela David]

I need to run a credit report for a new tenant who will be moving in with the current tenant. The current tenant has requested that his brother be added to the lease. I already have all the necessary information from the application, and he has paid me in cash to cover the report fee.

Now I’m looking for a way to run the credit report myself. Most platforms require the applicant to submit the application online and make the payment directly, but I’d prefer not to do it that way. I don’t want him to run the report on his own or fill anything out online — I want to handle the entire process myself.

Where can I run the credit report under these conditions?

[Jason Zundel]

There are quite a few different options out there, but the two that seem to have the best reviews and are fully managed by you are Avail and Transunion Smartmove.  Please note, if you are handling it fully yourself, then you are obtaining the confidential information of the potential tenants, and need to have the policies and procedures in place to properly protect such information.  At minimum a privacy policy and the specific usages, maintenance, and/or destruction of the information should be available in the even the tenant asks for such.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.