TENANT BACKGROUND CHECK
Screen tenants with confidence. For free.
TurboTenant’s digital tenant background and credit checks are trusted by over 750,000 landlords to find qualified renters.
Avoid any post-move-in surprises
When you get the full scope of a tenant’s background and rental history, you can minimize your turnover rate, avoid evictions, and rest easy knowing your investment property is in good hands.
When you get the full scope of a tenant’s personal and rental history, you can minimize your turnover rate and avoid evictions.
- Industry-standard questions
- Full background, credit, and eviction check
- Screening paid by the tenant
- Easy invite by text or email
Tenant Background & Credit Checks
Your one-stop shop for finding and managing tenants
Whether you have one or 1,000 doors, use TurboTenant’s intuitive toolset to streamline your entire process for free.
Build a listing in less than 10 minutes, then push it across the web to collect high-intent leads.
Build and adjust a lease on your own — specific to your state’s laws — in less than 15 minutes.
Get easy tracking, automatic reminders and late fees, accounting, and autopay. Free for landlords.
Rent To Tenants You Can Trust
Whether you’ve been through an eviction yourself or just heard the horror stories from other property owners, a great rental experience starts with finding the right tenants. Join over 750,000 landlords who use TurboTenant to make informed decisions and find good tenants they trust.
How Tenant Screening Reports Work
It’s straightforward and fast to run a tenant credit report, background check, and eviction check on a renter, even if you’ve never done it before. If you haven’t already had the tenant fill out a rental application, we recommend starting there.
Three Steps to Screening a Tenant
1. Enter Their Email: Yep. That’s it. Screen them by entering their email or phone number. We’ll take care of the rest. You don’t need to collect their SSN or any sensitive personal information — they’ll enter this on their end.
2. TurboTenant Verifies Their Identity: We automatically reach out to the tenant on your behalf to have them answer a few questions to verify their identity.
3. You Receive the Report: As soon as the potential tenant verifies their identity, you’ll get a notification telling you it’s time to pull the report. After that, we’ll let you know when it’s ready to view!
Easy to use. Streamlines the process. Provides insight on renter compatibility.
Industry leaders for screening our tenants! Responsive and awesome combined!
TurboTenant is the best! Easy to use, great customer service, and my tenants like it, too... Online application and screening reports with fast results.
What’s on the Screening Report?
Even if you’re a good judge of character, you need a snapshot of a prospective tenant’s financials, criminal record, and eviction history to feel truly confident. Our tenant screening report shows:
- Credit Score—see if they meet your criteria with a full credit report from the credit bureau
- Lines of Credit—learn if they might be stretched too thin by looking at their credit history
- Credit Inquiries—gain insights into new loans and any history of bankruptcies
- Debt in Collections—view their debt payment history, including any late payments in their rental history
- Criminal Record—rest assured knowing we check over 300 million records for any criminal history
- Past Evictions—sleep easy knowing we check over 27 million eviction records covering all 50 states and D.C.
- Income Analysis—use Income Analysis tool to double-check income reported by applications against data from the credit bureau
The Most Comprehensive Tenant Background Check
Your real estate is too important to play games with, and finding a trustworthy tenant is paramount for the success of your rental business. That’s why TurboTenant has partnered with Rent Butter to deliver more reliable screening and help protect you from risky applicants who might otherwise slip through the cracks. Without even requiring the renter’s social security number, our tenant screening report can show previous address history, evictions, and criminal records, including sex offender crimes.
Pricing
With TurboTenant, you can manage the entire rental process for free! The majority of landlords have the renter pay the fee to cover the screening report. But if you’ve already collected a fee or just want to pay it yourself, you have that option too.
For Landlords
Includes extensive online applications, instant screening reports, and rental marketing.
Landlords Pay
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Includes extensive online applications, screening reports, and rental marketing.
MORE THAN TENANT SCREENING
Whether this is your only rental property or you’re investing in more real estate, have the systems in place to create a welcoming and professional rental experience for you and your tenants.
Integrated Rental Accounting: Access a landlord-specific accounting tool that syncs directly with your account.
Rental Advertising: Have another vacancy? Post to dozens of sites to reach more renters for free!
Lease Agreements: Get a lawyer-prepared, state-specific lease agreement.
Document Management: Send, sign, and store important lease documents.
Rent Payments: Make collecting rent convenient for you and your tenants.
Maintenance Requests: Create a streamlined process so you have clear records.
Expense Tracking: Get a clear picture of money-in and money-out and make tax season easy.
What happens when you choose a tenant you trust? It's the start of a great landlord-tenant relationship.
Liv and Sarnen Steinbarth
Longtime Landlords & Founders of TurboTenant
Tenant Background Check FAQs
Which tenant screening services are best?
Many tenant screening companies provide landlords with an incomplete screening report. They often leave out essential information, such as consumer reports or criminal records. The best renter screening services provide a comprehensive snapshot of any prospective tenant’s trustworthiness and financial stability and are fully compliant with fair housing laws, as well as federal and state regulations. Having a comprehensive screening report helps you rest easy knowing you’ve chosen the perfect tenant for your rental property.
What is the purpose of a tenant screening process?
It’s important that landlords feel good about the tenants that live in their rental property. A comprehensive background check can alleviate a lot of stress and uncertainty up front. TurboTenant’s industry-leading tenant screening process includes criminal reports and a thorough credit report from Rent Butter. Our reports give landlords the confidence that they’re renting to the ideal tenant. We always recommend taking your screening process a step beyond our screening reports by conducting a rental history report and income verification.
How long does it take to get results?
Most tenant background checks take between 1 and 3 days, although some are completed on the same day. Turnaround time depends on how quickly applicants respond and whether the request lands on a weekend or holiday. Screening companies know landlords need fast answers, so they’re motivated to deliver results as quickly and accurately as possible.
Who pays for the background check?
Tenants usually pay for their background check, though some landlords cover the cost if they’re in a rush to fill a vacancy. Fees typically range from $35 to $75. With TurboTenant, landlords pass the cost to applicants (either $45 or $55) depending on the landlord’s subscription tier. Doing so keeps the process simple and free for landlords.
Can tenants see what's on their screening report?
Yes, tenants can see what’s on their report. Many landlords share the results directly, but if an applicant is denied, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the landlord to send them an adverse action notice. Doing so gives the tenant the right to access the report and dispute any inaccurate information contained within.
How far back does a background check go?
Most tenant background checks cover the past 7 to 10 years. This applies to credit history, eviction records, and bankruptcies in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) guidelines. Criminal records may go back further, depending on the state. In some cases, tenants can have older offenses sealed or expunged so they no longer appear on their records.
What red flags should I look for in a tenant's background check?
Watch for these warning signs in a tenant’s report:
- Prior evictions: Could suggest rent nonpayment or lease violations
- Poor credit score: May point to financial instability
- Serious criminal convictions: Especially recent or violent offenses
- Unverifiable income or employment: Raises questions about reliability
- Inconsistent rental history: Frequent moves or gaps without reason
- Outstanding debts to previous landlords: Indicates unresolved rental issues
None of these should automatically disqualify an applicant, but they should prompt a landlord to ask follow-up questions or require additional documentation.
Can applicants reuse their own background check?
Yes, in certain jurisdictions, applicants can use a portable tenant screening report to skip extra fees and credit checks. Some states, including Colorado, California, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island, New York, and Washington, allow these reports, which are typically valid for 30–90 days.
Download the app
Send and review online applications and screenings directly in our mobile app. Between the app and your desktop, you can manage your rentals from anywhere.
Scan the QR code to download the TurboTenant app on your mobile device
Download the TurboTenant app on your mobile device or tablet
Join the 750,000+ independent landlords who rely on TurboTenant to create welcoming rental experiences.
No tricks or trials to worry about. So what’s the harm? Try it today!
