Who do you use to run your Credit/Criminal Background Checks

Question

Place I wanted to use is $38 a piece. If I wanted to do a credit/criminal/eviction check that is $114. That seems pretty high to me. Am I wrong? Also what type of checks do you run? I think that the eviction check is the least important of the three since a credit check would reflect an eviction if it was a recent one.

Account Closed · Answer

I think you need to find another company. We have been using a company called ACUTRAQ for several years with great results.

They perform credit, national criminal search, eviction search, they they even call the landlords for verification of rental history and employers for verification of income.  ACUTRAQ fee per application is $30.  www. acutraq.com .  They also have an online application where tenants can apply online, making it very convenient and user-friendly.

Kelly N. · Answer

I use Rentec Direct- $29.45 gets you a national criminal/credit/ eviction check.  I charge $30 and run each adult.

Mysmartmove was good too, but I get enough applicants that don't have regular internet access that I would need an alternate method anyways.

Michael R. · Answer

I just started formally screening and used smartmove. These other options are great also. I like the fact that tenants pay.

Ashley St. Gelais · Answer

Hey Jim,

We use Buildium as a property management tool and through this they give us access to run credit and background checks through SmartMove. Tenant pays $12 and it's upload to our system almost immediately.  For folks who don't have internet access - you could bring an iPad with wifi to showings for folks to apply online while at the property.  Or you could bring printed applications with you to showings. Have them complete it and give you the $12 check or cash. Then you enter the information yourself into the system.  Only catch is that this system requires the tenants to give approval for the credit/background check via an email address.

Buildium also allows tenants to pay electronically via a bank transfer and creates your very own best site with your current listings.

Hope this is helpful.

James Wilcox · Answer

These are all great answers! What about tenants that don't have access to internet? I have a lot of tenants that do not have very well developed technology IQ. I would like a company that I could call with information and they send me a report.

Sam Masiello · Answer

Similar to what some others have said, I also use SmartMove.  BP has their own landing page on the site as well:

https://biggerpockets.mysmartmove.com/#

I used to do the data collection and data entry for the background/criminal/credit check myself.  This was both time consuming and I had someone bounce the $35 check for the application fee.  I asked myself "Why am I doing this?" and switched to MySmartMove.  Less paperwork and if the tenant provides bad payment information, I don't have to deal with it.

Josiah Cooper · Answer

We use Experian. You fill out info about tenant, tenant gets email and they fill out info/pay and results are emailed back to us. I believe it's under $30.

Derek DeGuire · Answer

ours are through Appfolio

Who do you use to run your Credit/Criminal Background Checks

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