Free Tenant Screening Software for Landlords
Nationwide criminal checks, eviction history, rental history, and AI-powered risk scoring. Applicant-paid screening is optional on invites. Credit reports are not live. Platinum ($5/month) includes 1 report a month. Extra reports are $5 each, and AI risk scores are included.
Applicant-paid optional · Any report is 1 credit ($5) · Platinum includes 1 report each month
Why applicant-paid screening is optional
Traditional screening services charge landlords $20–$50 per report. On VerticalRent you can have the applicant pay on an invite, or you can order reports yourself. Any single report is 1 screening credit ($5). Platinum ($5/month) includes identity and 1 report each month.
This is 100% legal in all 50 states. In fact, it's the standard practice at large property management companies — now available to independent landlords.
Everything in One Report
Criminal, eviction, and rental history in one dashboard. AI risk scoring is Platinum. Credit reports are not live.
Credit Report (not live)
Not liveA TransUnion or Experian credit report with score is not available to order today.
Nationwide Criminal Background
$5 / reportSearches millions of court records, sex offender registries, and national watch lists across all 50 states.
Eviction History
$5 / reportNationwide eviction search across civil courts so past evictions don't become your problem.
Identity & SSN Verification
IncludedConfirms the applicant is who they say they are with SSN trace and identity validation.
Rental History Report
FreeVerifiable rental history — previous addresses, landlord contacts, and length of tenancy.
AI Risk Score (Platinum)
PlatinumPlatinum: Claude AI reads the entire report and produces a plain-English risk summary with a 1–100 confidence score.
AI Risk Score cuts through the noise
Instead of wading through pages of raw data, our AI reads the entire report and gives you a plain-English summary — what stands out, what the risks are, and a 1–100 confidence score.
No evictions. Rental history verified. AI Risk Score is Platinum (10 credits) — not a bureau credit score. Credit reports are not live.
How Tenant Screening Works
From invite to decision in under 5 minutes.
Invite the Applicant
Send a screening invite. Applicant-paid screening is optional — you can cover reports or let the applicant pay.
Applicant Consents & Submits
FCRA-compliant digital consent is captured automatically. The applicant completes a mobile-friendly form.
Reports Arrive Instantly
Criminal, eviction, and rental-history reports land in your dashboard within seconds. AI Risk Score is Platinum (10 credits). Credit reports are not live.
Make Your Decision
Approve or decline with confidence. Adverse action notices are generated automatically to keep you FCRA-compliant.
We handle compliance so you don't have to
The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs how screening data can be used. VerticalRent bakes compliance into every step — from consent capture to adverse action notices.
Step-by-step guide to running tenant background checks, setting screening criteria, and staying FCRA-compliant.
Tenant Screening Questions
Is tenant screening free for landlords?
Applicant-paid screening is optional on invites. You can also order reports yourself. Any single report is 1 screening credit ($5). A $5 identity check becomes 1 credit. Platinum includes identity and 1 report each month. Identity is Verify $5 or Platinum.
What does a tenant screening report include?
A nationwide criminal background check, eviction history search, identity and SSN verification, and rental history. AI Risk Score is Platinum. A TransUnion or Experian credit report is not live and is not available to order today.
How long does tenant screening take?
Most reports are returned within seconds to minutes. You'll have criminal, eviction, and rental-history reports ready to review in under 5 minutes. AI Risk Score is Platinum (10 credits).
Is VerticalRent FCRA compliant?
Yes, fully. We capture digital consent before every screening, maintain a complete audit log, encrypt all SSN data, and automatically generate adverse action notices when you decline a screened applicant.
Can I require tenants to pay for screening?
Yes — this is legal in all 50 states. Landlords are permitted to require applicants to cover their own background check. VerticalRent handles all payment collection directly. A credit report SKU is not live.
What credit score should I require for tenants?
VerticalRent does not sell a bureau credit score today, so you cannot require one from this product. AI Risk Score is Platinum and synthesizes criminal, eviction, and rental-history findings — not a TransUnion or Experian score.
Start screening smarter
Sign up in minutes. Applicant-paid screening is optional. Platinum is $5/month. No credit card required to start.
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