The best approach is to work with a screening provider that uses FCRA-certified human review in addition to database searches.A thorough report should include:Full credit report (from a major bureau, soft-pull if possible)Nationwide criminal and sex offender search (Multiple data providers not single)Eviction history Judgments and liens (No longer appear on credit reports)Optional tools such as income, employment, and ID verification to detect fraudWhen comparing services, ask how they verify mismatched data and whether they confirm records manually.

Eventually I called FMC directly and spoke to one of the worst human beings I have ever come across in all my years.

Screening is your first line of defense in reducing rental risk—cutting corners there can cost far more down the road.Cheaper report costs usually mean cheaper data: automated pulls, incomplete records, and no human review.

If someone’s solid, I’d rather keep them happy than roll the dice on a new tenant every year (and deal with two months of no rent + repairs like you mentioned).We also send $25-$50 gift cards during some holidays just to keep it more "humanly" than business.

So it's just human nature for him to be a little annoyed.

It didn't hurt me financially, I kept a good tenant and felt like I was doing the decent thing as a human being.  

There remains a human aspect, a gut feel, and with it the skills to know how to dig into the data to find confirmation.

It’s worth paying a few extra dollars for verified, human-reviewed data, it can save you thousands in future headaches.Good luck with everything!

Hey Dan - about ~200 people who were on the ball with selecting their sessions lost them because of my human error.

Housing humans I have found is unpredictable.