Best Tenant Screening Services of 2024

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First Advantage wins best overall because of its broad scope of services, a robust library of white papers and datasheets, and its human review process to minimize the risk of false positives.

Founded in 2003, First Advantage has grown to become one of the largest screening services in the world, with 26 locations in 14 countries. The company powers more than 100 million background screens annually and is considered one of the most competent companies in the industry.

Landlords call or email First Advantage’s sales department to discuss criteria needs and the number of screens to get a price quote. A unique package is crafted that draws on the scope of First Advantage’s services, plus the supplemental offerings from the company’s partner ecosystem. For example, with Credit Passport from Nova Credit, you can get credit insight for foreign national tenant applicants who have not yet established credit history in the U.S.

First Advantage provides rental, landlord, and utility debt history, in addition to criminal background checks across every state. Their FCRA-compliant services extend into identity fraud as well. Since many evictions are not reported to credit agencies, First Advantage maintains its own database updated with initial filings, possessions, judgments, timely payments, and lease disputes.

As a result, most information landlords need is available within a few minutes. Another factor that earned First Advantage top marks was that you can learn why these criteria are important in their online library, full of webinar video recordings, white papers, blog posts, datasheets, and trend reports.

Landlords can choose from multiple credit reporting agencies when screening a potential tenant. First Advantage also offers a streamlined service for landlords to store forms online. As a result, everything from initial screening to tenant payment performance to filings and background screening can be captured in the forms database.

For customer service, landlords and applicants can call or email for guidance or file a dispute. First Advantage also has an FAQ page with answers and links to expedite solutions.

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Some landlords have realtors market their properties and conduct screenings. SmartMove is the best tool for realtors with this responsibility because they can manage multiple properties from one account and have applicants pay for screenings.

SmartMove, started by TransUnion in 2008, brought big customer power to small business realtors trying to conduct criminal reports economically and quickly.

SmartMove offers three plans: SmartCheck Basic for $25, SmartCheck Plus for $40, and SmartCheck Pro for $45 per screening. For Basic, you receive a credit-based resident score and a national criminal background check. The Plus plan adds a full credit report and a national eviction report. With Pro, SmartMove gives you an Income Insights report, which lets the realtor know if the applicant needs further income verification. And for the benefit of the applicant, the Income Insight report accounts for non-work income such as child support or alimony.

There are no setup fees, no minimums, no monthly service charges, or hidden fees. There’s also no wait to find out if your account is approved. Within minutes of registering, you can be running your first applicant screen. In each tenant screen, you can charge the cost to the applicant or your company. It rises above other services because it is a system designed for a landlord to delegate the screening responsibility to a realtor. The pricing is transparent, and the realtor can screen for multiple properties within a single account.

Customer service is available via phone, and the company offers helpful information through its FAQ page.

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Fidelis Screening Solutions’ RentPrep is the best option for landlords with multiple properties because it offers a discounted bulk volume price.

RentPrep has built a company that invests in the screening skills of its people so they can perform manual screening supported by technology. While other screening companies boast about the size of their databases and the speed of their reports, RentPrep questions the accuracy—and thus usefulness—of their competitors' speedy reports.

Two plan options for screening tenants are RentPrep Background Check for $21 and TransUnion Full Credit Report for $40. The lower-priced plan does not require involvement from the applicant. It verifies Social Security numbers, evictions, bankruptcies, judgments, and liens. For a $6 upcharge, you can add a nationwide criminal and sex offender search. For $11, you can order a credit decision report.

For landlords with 50+ properties, we found RentPrep to offer a number of discounts.

RentPrep reports are supplied in about an hour during normal business hours. TransUnion reports are available within minutes, but that clock doesn't start ticking until applicants verify their identity.

The company uses phone, chat, and email options for customer support and for tenants to initiate a dispute.

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While E-Renter does not have the lowest price entry point, it is close to the lowest, and the Basic plan’s content includes criminal records, sex offender searches, bankruptcies, liens, and judgments.

E-Renter was founded in 2003 by two rental property owners who wanted to create a better way for landlords to screen tenants. The company offers outstanding customer service, with consumers generally reaching an FCRA-certified representative by phone.

The Basic plan costs $21.95. In this package, the report verifies the applicant’s Social Security number and does an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Patriot Act search. Even at the introductory level, the report includes evictions, judgments, criminal background, sex offender status, liens, lawsuits, and bankruptcies. E-Renter earned the best value here because there were no hidden fees, and at $21.95, it was the lowest price for a large bundle of searches done in the entry-level tier.

E-Renter’s more comprehensive plans are also less expensive than its competitors. For $31.95, the Premium plan includes everything in the Basic plan plus a FICO score and credit check, but you don’t receive the full credit report.

The Ultimate plan, at $36.95, adds an advanced background check that includes Rent Check Advisor, which is a report that indicates whether you should accept checks from the applicant, as well as validation of the applicant’s name, identity, and addresses. Finally, the Ultimate plan also does a Social Security number name match and a check against the Social Security Death Index.

Their reports are generated online within an hour by scouring various databases across the country. There is no signup fee, no monthly fee, and no minimum orders. Customer Service is available via email or phone, Monday through Saturday.

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BetterNOI understands the importance of an accurate criminal background check to a landlord, and how to dig for records that do not show up in the online databases on which other companies rely.

Founded in 2001, we found BetterNOI charges $60 to $90 per application, depending on the type and length. You can also request a demonstration to see the program, discuss your needs with a customer service professional, and then receive your custom quote.

Reports provide detailed credit reporting. Criminal background reporting includes searches as well as staff-confirmed research efforts at county courthouses to capture information that is not reported to the standard databases. Detailed court reports show eviction cases, and BetterNOI packages the information to be easily digested.

Enter the criteria important to you, and BetterNOI will tell you if the applicant passes your acceptance guidelines. The detailed steps it takes in researching criminal records were a level above its competitors, so we gave it the best criminal background search award.

Rounding out its background checks, BetterNOI verifies employment and income history. Applicants can file a claim or inquire through an online form, phone call, or mail.

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RealPage has put more emphasis on prediction by expanding its scope of research. Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a big role in RealPage’s model to go beyond just income and credit to determine if an applicant will have trouble paying rent.

Founded in 1998, RealPage has become an innovator in the industry with its predictive algorithm. Not only does it predict the ability to pay but also the applicant’s willingness to pay. RealPage uses data from more than 30 million leases to help landlords find tenants with characteristics that predict good tenant behavior.

As a result, RealPage can screen for willingness to pay, identity verification, rental history, and criminal history. The process takes seconds and can be completed within the time an applicant is touring a property. By using artificial intelligence to help inform a tenant’s willingness to pay, RealPage created the most predictive model.

Since you must call to speak to a representative or fill out an online form to discuss your goals and criteria, there are no pre-packaged plans to view online. Quotes are customized for each client.

When an applicant is denied, a human staff member often verifies the disqualifying issues before sending out a denial message. An applicant can initiate a dispute by phone, mail, fax, or email. If a landlord uses some of RealPage’s complementary tenant management services, such as its renter portal, utility management, automated payments, and renter insurance, there are additional ways for the tenant to communicate and file a dispute.