If you own or manage a rental property, you are always on the lookout for ways to find the best tenants to occupy those properties. Tenant screening services for landlords are easy to find, but which ones can you trust to do the best job? Here we will look into some of the best tenant screening services in the country, including features, prices, and what each service covers for that price. Using a tenant screening service for background checks, credit checks, eviction history, or even just checking an applicant’s references can ultimately save you a lot of time and money.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By Sasin Paraksa
Screening tenants can be a legal minefield, so be sure that you are up to date on housing laws before you even begin screening applicants. Investigate your particular state’s housing laws so that you are educated on what you can and cannot ask during the tenant screening process. Do your research on the most recent fair housing laws to find out what you can and cannot ask while screening applicants for your property. Next, decide on what you want your rent-to-income ratio to be for your potential applicants so that you are only checking the potential renters who qualify financially. This will weed out anyone who cannot meet this particular financial obligation. Here is a list of what you should be looking at, whether you use a tenant screening service or do it yourself:
- Credit history
- Rental history
- Eviction history
- Criminal records
- Employment history
- Income information
When trying to determine which tenant screening service is best for you as a landlord or property manager, you must consider the following aspects of a tenant screening service:
- Pricing – does the service screen potential tenants à la carte or is it part of a larger plan? Can you select which services you want, or does it include everything for one price?
- Income/employment verification – does the service verify the tenant’s employment history? Do they evaluate the tenant’s income and employment to see if they can afford the property?
- Customer service – does the service offer landlord support including online chat capabilities, email, and dedicated phone numbers? Is this support available only during the week or is it available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
- Criminal background checks – does the service obtain the potential tenants’ past convictions in your particular state? Can they obtain this information for other states as well if necessary?
- Residence and/or eviction history – can the service provide addresses and timeframes for the tenant’s resident history? Will they also do a search for the applicant’s eviction history if they have one?
- Reviews – most importantly, how does the public perceive the service? What are the reviews from the landlords who use the service? Do they have good reviews or bad reviews overall?
Here is a quick comparison of ten different U.S. tenant screening services:
- Landlord Station. Best for landlords who are looking for a comprehensive, one-stop screening process. Offers local vendor searches. Includes a listings management and documents management service.
- MyRental. Best for landlords who want affordable options. No sign-up fee or minimum order.
- RentPrep. Best for landlords who need help understanding their screening reports. Offers certified screeners who can help you understand the reports
- Avail. Best for landlords who want only tenant screening. Offers the option for online property management.
- LeaseRunner. Best for landlords who want to select particular options from a menu. No monthly fees.
- TurboTenant. Best for landlords who want an all-in-one platform. Option to market your rental listing on its site.
- National Tenant Network. Best for landlords who want a subscription service for tenant screening. Nationwide offices available.
- Experian. Best for landlords who want a credit check only. Uses Experian credit reports.
- Buildium. Best for landlords who want a credit/ background check only; does not check references or employment. $25 per person fee.
- Cozy. Best for landlords who want a simple, generic application (not customizable). Does not verify employment or references. Asks for contact information for references.
Landlord Station stands out for its offerings of tenant screening. This well-known service offers many additional benefits for landlords through its all-inclusive coverage. The comprehensive screening process includes a credit report, employment history, police or conviction records, eviction records, and specific financial information as it pertains to rental history or potential. The company also offers different levels of screening if you prefer to use their services à la carte, such as a credit report only for $28, all the way up to everything (credit, criminal, eviction, employment and rental history, and verification of references) for only $65 per applicant.