Help Desk FAQ Show Credit reports and scoresRentingWhat is a tenant history report?A tenant history report is one of a variety of “specialty consumer reports” that compile specific information on consumers. A tenant, or rental, history report lists previous addresses, rental payment history, evictions and other information obtained from previous landlords and court records. Managers of multi-unit buildings are more likely to request your tenant history report than the landlord of a single-family home or just a few units. You can request your tenant history report (and any other credit or specialty reports) at any time—you’re entitled to one free copy of any report once every 12 months. But because the information you provide in your request becomes part of the agency’s database, and because the request process can be inconvenient, you might be better off ordering your report only when you know it might be used, such as before you apply to rent a home. Be sure to allow enough time to correct inaccurate information or include an explanation about unfavorable content, if necessary. The major tenant history sources are:
If you’re looking to rent and likely to be subject to a tenant screening, order your tenant reports before shopping for your new home so that you have time to correct inaccuracies or to be prepared to explain any negative information to a prospective landlord. (Since these are not the only sources of tenant history reports, ask the building manager or landlord what reporting company he or she will be using.) Learn more about tenant history and other specialty reports. Tags/Keywords
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GET_SUBDOMAINwww.mysmartmove.comloginblog/how-to-check-rental-historyJSMTvm5DNmiBZ2wUGQM7+AlSCpjqkF0qdn1A21GPkWbemL8YEMowBadyh03uP4QGJV1tk9hzImki32ILULUBeseCIyXU0foX0NzMvfwx6rk= {"VisitId":174843318,"SubDomainId":1,"CampaignId":0,"VisitDate":"2022-11-04T14:45:24","SessionId":null,"InvalidSubDomain":false}174843318SUCCESS {"SubDomainId":1,"CoBrandId":1,"SubDomainName":"SmartMove by TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions","SubDomainLink":"www.mysmartmove.com","SubscriberCode":"12345","IsRetailSubDomain":true,"DomainPricingList":{"View Criminal Report":10.00,"Credit Recommendation":15.00,"View Credit Report and Eviction Report":13.00},"DecryptCode":null,"GatewayNotificationUrl":null,"GatewayNotificationMethod":null,"GoogleAnalyticsTracking":"UA-2854562-5","Code":null,"Status":1} www.mysmartmove.comfalseSmartMove by TransUnion Rental Screening Solutionshttps://www.mysmartmove.com1true174843318 HxBYy9RxCwpRLKUqTYGKVwlSCpjqkF0qdc8OUWMtjDAO2TNf+zCp5YzXESgipCgoJV1tk9hzIml3SurOZ51U5AD8i0iChhEq0NzMvfwx6rk= The last thing a landlord wants is for a bad tenant to occupy their rental property, as selecting the wrong person could lead to a costly eviction, damaged property, or nonpayment of rent. Finding high-quality tenants should be a landlord’s top priority, and tenant screening is an essential part of the process. According to SmartMove data, more than 95% of landlords believe that tenant screening is beneficial and helps them to get a higher-quality tenant into their rental unit. To thoroughly screen rental applicants, landlords must consider several key pieces of information:
Here’s what they found:
While the above checks are essential parts of the tenant screening process, there’s another piece of the tenant screening puzzle every landlord must consider before accepting an applicant: the applicant’s rental history. Verifying your prospective tenant’s rental history can provide more insight into their true character and their overall intentions as a renter. And, a tenant’s past behavior may be indicative of their future actions. Not only does an applicant’s rental history help to give you the bigger picture of who they are, but it can also help to guide your overall tenant decision. Taking the time to verify an applicant’s rental history can help you to get answers to questions like:
First, let’s take a closer look at what’s included in a rental history report. What is a Rental History Report?A rental history report is a list of previous addresses that a tenant has rented from, along with contact information of the landlord or property manager at the time. It is likely that the credit report will list out previous addresses for the applicant, but it is a good idea to ask the applicant for a complete list of addresses and contact information for previous landlords. What if My Tenant Doesn’t Have a Rental History?In some cases, you may receive a tenant application that lists no rental history at all. For example, college students, Millennials, or Gen Z renters may be new to the rental market, therefore they may not have had the opportunity to obtain a substantial rental history. While first-time renters may lack a rental history, you don’t necessarily have to disqualify them as a potential tenant. It’s important to note that lack of rental or credit history doesn’t necessarily mean an applicant won’t make a good tenant. If you find yourself in this situation, there are several key pieces of information you can
consider instead, including pay stubs, tax return stubs, or co-signed leases.
If the above information isn’t enough to base your decision on, then there’s more that you can do. If you’re considering renting to a tenant with no rental history, then consider the merits of requiring a cosigner on the lease. That could help mitigate risk. How Do I Verify Rental History?Now that we’ve covered the basics of a rental history report, let’s explore seven crucial steps of the rental verification process and learn why this aspect of screening a tenant is integral to landlord success. Step 1: Understand Your Personal Expectations for a TenantBefore you list your rental property on the most popular rental listing websites and begin to receive rental applications, be sure you understand what your ideal tenant’s background might look like.
Questions like the ones above can help you to create a template of who your ideal tenant would be and can also help to guide you when you’re reviewing applications. Remember, your expectations should be realistic and abide by any federal or state-specific laws. Step 2: Inform Applicant that Rental History Information is RequiredTo begin learning more about your prospective tenant’s rental history, you will need to gather the applicant’s previous rental information:
Let applicants know that to move forward in the application process they must provide at least three previous rental addresses as well as their previous landlord’s contact information. Step 3: Have Applicant Sign a Rental History Release AgreementMake sure your rental application has a tenant information release form attached. With this legal document, a tenant authorizes their prospective landlord to review past rental history information. This information may include:
It might be worthwhile to include this requirement within the initial rental listing. That way, you can start to weed out any applicants who may not want to release their past rental history information. In the end, those who can and do provide this information upfront may be more desirable for your rental property. Step 4: Review the Rental ApplicationStart the rental verification process by reviewing the prospective tenant’s rental history section in the initial application. Do you notice any gaps in their rental history report? If there are significant breaks in tenancy, ask your applicant about it, as there may be an acceptable reason for these gaps in tenancy. For example, maybe the applicant decided to move back in with their parents for the sake of saving money. You should also look for information omission:
Keep an eye out for missing information. Key omissions could indicate that your applicant doesn’t want to share their tenancy history, or that they don’t want you to be in contact with previous landlords. Step 5: Conduct a Landlord Reference CheckTaking time to ensure your renter is reliable and responsible may save you the hassle of eviction and costly repairs down the road. As mentioned before, the cost of eviction can reach up to $3,500 and take up to four weeks to complete. Clearly, this small step shouldn’t be ignored. Once you’ve reviewed the prospective tenant’s application, you should call their current and previous landlords. A landlord reference check can help you answer important questions like:
A simple 15-minute phone conversation with an applicant’s current and previous landlord can help provide insight about whether or not your prospective tenant is reliable and responsible. Once you’ve reached an applicant’s previous landlord by phone, be sure to ask these important
landlord reference check questions: This list is wide-ranging, but by no means exhaustive. Use these questions as a starting point and add your own; come up with queries that will provide the information you need to make a great tenant decision for your property and help you spot tenant warning signs. Once you’ve received applications and gathered the information you need, you can begin to verify a prospective tenant’s rental history in a few additional steps. Step 6: Conduct an Eviction History CheckWhile thoroughly examining rental applications and conducting landlord reference checks are essential steps when investigating a prospective tenant’s rental history, it’s important that you also verify the information they’ve reported. Verifying rental history with an eviction history check is arguably one of the most important steps of checking the rental history of your prospective tenant. Almost 56% of landlords say that prior eviction history is one their top concerns about new tenants, and running an eviction check can provide the peace of mind you need to move forward with your next lease or rental agreement. SmartMove’s national eviction records check leverages massive information databases from TransUnion. This means you get more accurately matched search results and can dive into over 16+ million records that include:
Armed with this information, you’ll have a better sense of whether or not your applicant is likely to present an eviction risk if they live in your property. The costs of eviction are too high when you consider that you can take steps to avoid them in the first place. It not only pays to get an eviction history report on your prospective tenant, but also their credit, background and criminal, Income Insights reports. Step 7: Complete Full Tenant ScreeningIn the end, picking a great tenant all comes down to deciding if the applicant is the right fit for your rental property. With the right information, this part of the process can be fairly easy. Ideally, a landlord wants a high-quality tenant who:
With SmartMove online tenant screening, you can obtain your prospective tenant’s national eviction history, credit and criminal background reports, Income Insights, and a proprietary rental credit score, ResidentScore, in a matter of minutes. Income Insights is a tool that helps landlords quickly and easily determine if more thorough income checks are recommended based off of self-reported renter income. Income Insights enables you to:
What if we told you that 59% of respondents to a 2016 SmartMove user survey strongly and somewhat agreed that they place greater emphasis on a prospective tenant having a steady income rather than a previous credit history? An Income Insights report is a quick way to determine if you need to invest time and energy to verify sources of income for your applicant. By evaluating applicant credit behavior, Income Insights can estimate if the reported income seems reasonable. If no, then additional income checks are recommended. When you think of the thousands of dollars you could avoid having to spend on an eviction, a tenant screening service like SmartMove is a prudent investment. Final NotesVerifying rental history can help you make the right decision for your rental property. Your renter’s past conduct in a rental property may be a good predictor of their future behavior if you decide to rent to them. Do your research, verify their rental history, and pick the right tenant for your property. Using TransUnion SmartMove, you can increase your chances of identifying a responsible tenant, and gain a more complete picture of an applicant’s background. Within minutes, you’ll receive a rental credit report, eviction report, a criminal report, Income Insights report, and a ResidentScore to help you make a well-informed decision. With convenient online screening, you can vet potential tenants within minutes. Use SmartMove and rent your property to the right tenant, faster. About Andrea CollatzAndrea Collatz is a Senior Marketing Analyst at TransUnion SmartMove. She focuses on topics that empower independent landlords through data, insights, and industry best practices that are typically reserved only for large property management companies. She is also involved in marketing and social media efforts centered on communicating the importance of tenant screening to independent landlords. |