If you’re looking for a platform that will give you reliable credit reports, criminal background checks, and employment and income verification—all without breaking the bank— I’ve got the perfect list for you! I’ve reviewed multiple platforms to bring you the top six best tenant screening services based on screening features, pricing, ease of use, customer support, and online reviews. These services protect your investments and make it easier to find good tenants, saving you time, money, and hassle.
- Avail: Best for automated reference checks
- RentRedi: Best for mobile tenant screening
- Apartments.com: Best for auto-tenant screening
- Buildium: Best for comprehensive tenant screening
- Rentspree: Best for free credit and background checks
- TurboTenant: Best for free tenant management
The Close’s Top Picks for Tenant Screening Services for Landlords
(based on annual subscription) | ||||
Avail: Best for Automated Reference Checks
Why I Chose Avail
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Starting cost:
Free; paid plan starts at $9 per unit, per month
If you’re on the hunt for free property management software that gives you automated reference checks, Avail is where it’s at. When prospects fill out the online renter application, Avail automatically reaches out to their previous landlords to check if they paid rent on time and kept the place in good condition. Plus, you can verify income and other documents to ensure these prospects pay rent on time.
In addition, whether you need a TransUnion report, a national criminal history check, prior eviction details, or a full tenant background check, Avail has you covered. You can also tweak application settings and screening questions to find tenants that meet all their requirements.
💡Room for Improvement: A mobile app and a renter risk score feature would enhance Avail. A mobile app would facilitate landlords and tenants’ access to documents and communication. At the same time, a renter risk score would give landlords even more details to secure a good tenant.
Additional Features
- Digital leases: Access lawyer-reviewed, state-specific lease agreement templates, including all the necessary disclosures, attachments, and clauses.
- Rent price analysis: Complete rental market trends and rent comps to set competitive rent prices.
RentRedi: Best for Mobile Tenant Screening
Why I Chose RentRedi
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Starting cost:
$12 per month (based on annual subscription)
When it comes to the best-rated tenant screening services, RentRedi is a fantastic choice for landlords who want the convenience of tenant screening right from their phones. The mobile app allows you to easily send requests, view screening reports, and accept applications without jumping on a web browser. Plus, it has an auto-screening feature, meaning you’ll get a completed tenant screening report as soon as someone applies.
RentRedi uses ResidentScore, which predicts rental eviction risk 15% better than traditional credit scores. It also checks 27 million eviction records and reviews over 370 million records from state and national databases to ensure you get a thorough tenant report.
💡Room for Improvement: A free trial is always helpful when trying to decide what platform suits their business. RentRedi would improve by providing a free trial to potential users to play around with all the features before paying a fee.
Additional Features
- Prequalifications and applications: Set prequalification questions to determine whether an applicant qualifies before scheduling a tour.
- Listings and marketing: Free Realtor and Doorsteps listing syndications using the RentRedi dashboard; add virtual tour options to property listings and have a free professionally designed marketing page to share on your websites and other marketing sites.
Apartments.com: Best for Auto-tenant Screening
Why I Chose Apartments.com
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Starting cost:
$29 per application
If you need access to quick tenant screening reports, Apartments.com might be the one for you. Its auto-tenant screening feature gives you a bunch of information about renters, like their income-to-rent ratio, job status, household info, and rental history. If you have multiple units available that an applicant is interested in, they can use their screening report with other rentals on the site. The same application can be used for up to ten different listings and is good for 30 days.
Aside from screening tenants, Apartments.com allows you to list your property, receive applications, generate a lease, collect rent payments, manage residents, organize expenses, and track maintenance from anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
💡Room for Improvement:Live chat support improves communication and ease of use. Apartments.com would benefit from adding it to its services.
Additional Features
- Resident management: Securely store and access your tenants’ relevant information in one centralized location and share documents with tenants online.
- Expense tracking: Organize, track, and export your rental property expenses from anywhere to make tax preparation easier.
Buildium: Best for Comprehensive Tenant Screening
Why I Chose Buildium
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Starting cost:
$15 per screening
Buildium made the list for its comprehensive tenant screening. You have two screening options: basic and enhanced. The enhanced option allows customized recommendation thresholds, requires minimal applicant involvement, and delivers faster results.
Establish tenant screening criteria, such as a minimum credit score and other qualifying questions in the application form, including pet policies, move-in dates, and deposits. This helps you quickly filter qualified and unqualified applicants and avoid tenant scams while remaining compliant with landlord-tenant laws. Additionally, Buildium will send tenants reminders to complete their rental applications three days and seven days after the process begins.
💡Room for Improvement: Buildium could improve by providing a terrorist alert feature for a more extensive tenant screening report.
Additional Features
- Performance and business analytics: Receive insights into your residents’ activities through the resident center and a detailed analysis of your business performance using key leasing metrics.
- e-Signatures: You can manage all leasing processes online and get your documents signed digitally.
RentSpree: Best for Free Credit & Background Checks
Why I Chose RentSpree
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Starting cost:
Free; paid plan starts at $19.99 monthly
RentSpree makes it super easy to get a complete picture of your applicants. TransUnion powers screening, so you’ll quickly collect everything you need to see if someone fits your requirements. The screening package includes a credit report, background check, eviction history, and income verification. Plus, you can pass the cost onto the applicant, meaning it’s free for agents and landlords. On top of that, you get access to over 25 million records from eviction cases across the U.S.
💡Room for Improvement: RentSpree could improve by adding additional property management features to help landlords keep everything they need on one platform.
Additional Features
- Rent estimate: A custom report to analyze local comparables, competitively price your listing, and maximize your profits.
- Renters insurance: Request and verify proof of coverage.
TurboTenant: Best for Free Tenant Management
Why I Chose TurboTenant
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Starting cost:
Free; paid plan starts at $9.92, billed annually
If you’re looking for free property management software, TurboTenant makes it easy to manage your tenants and properties with the essential features you need at no cost. Create unlimited property listings, accept applications, and thoroughly screen tenants. Once you’ve secured a tenant, generate state-specific leases, collect rent, and manage maintenance requests. You’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you need additional customizations. However, TurboTenant offers a great starting point with their free package.
💡Room for Improvement: TurboTenant could improve its services by providing third-party integrations.
Additional Features
- Expense tracking: Organize and monitor expenses in purpose-built software and export them as a CSV file when filing taxes.
- Rental advertising: Advertise properties for free on multiple rental listing websites like Realtor.com, ApartmentList, Rent.com, and Craigslist; create professional listing pages for your properties.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does tenant background check affect credit score?
A background check generally does not affect an applicant’s credit score; however, it depends on the type of credit report used. Soft credit inquiries are more often than not used for rental applications. However, if a hard inquiry is required, that does affect applicant credit scores.
What is provided on a tenant screening report?
Tenant screening reports include a criminal background check, tenant background check, credit report, eviction history, employment verification, residence history, and any bankruptcies, judgments, and liens. They may also include previous landlord references, employer references, and proof of income.
Is it legal to screen tenants?
Yes, tenant screening is legal. However, various states may have specific laws about costs, limitations, and what constitutes discrimination, so it’s important to check and verify your local and state legislation carefully.
Methodology: How I Chose the Best-rated Tenant Screening Services
Our expert researchers, agents, writers, and editors at The Close researched and reviewed dozens of tenant screening services for landlords. We chose the top six based on pricing structure, features, and reviews.
Other factors we examined to evaluate the best commercial tenant screening services include the following:
- Pricing (20%)
- We evaluated the cost of each platform, the price of each subscription package, the value of the features provided, and whether it offers a free trial.
- General Features (20%)
- Based on various tenant screening features offered that help landlords and property managers list and market properties, screen tenants, generate leases and reports, and track financials.
- Advanced Features (25%)
- Based on various tenant communication features offered that help landlords and property managers to engage and connect with their tenants.
- Ease of Use (10%)
- Based on how easy it is to navigate the provider interface and if it provides hassle-free transactions and communication between property owners and tenants.
- Help & Support (5%)
- We looked into the convenience and attainability of customer service for technical support, onboarding, and training.
- Customer Rating (10%)
- Based on customer feedback for each platform, with particular attention given to reviews of the product and popularity of the provider, to certify the software meets user satisfaction.
- Expert Score (10%)
- Expertise in the field and firsthand experience with the providers allow us to evaluate the standout features, value for the money, and ease of use of tenant screening services.
Your Take
Choosing the right landlord-tenant screening service can make it much easier to find great renters. Our list provides several excellent options for screening and managing your tenants; it ultimately depends on your specific business needs. Use our list to select a platform that best aligns with your requirements and gives your business a competitive edge.
What tenant screening feature can’t you live without? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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