What a tenant screening report contains

A tenant screening report is a document a landlord orders about you before deciding whether to rent to you. It pulls together information from three main sources: your credit history, your rental history, and a criminal background check. The report itself is usually a single document that combines all three, though some landlords order them separately.

The credit section shows your payment history on credit cards, loans, and other debts — the same information a credit bureau would send to a bank. It includes late payments, collections accounts, and your current balances. The rental history section contacts previous landlords and property managers to ask whether you paid on time, broke anything, or caused problems. The background check searches criminal records in the county or counties where you've lived.

A screening report does not include your income, employment history, or savings account balances unless you volunteer that information on the rental process. It also does not include eviction filings that were dismissed or resolved in your favor, though some reports do flag cases that were filed even if you won.

Key Takeaways

  • Tenant screening reports combine credit history, rental history from previous landlords, and criminal background checks into one document that landlords use to decide whether to rent to you.
  • Late payments, collections accounts, and unpaid debts appear on the credit section, while the rental history section contacts your previous landlords directly.
  • You have the right to see a copy of the report if the landlord uses it to deny you housing, and you can dispute information that is wrong.
  • Different landlords weight the same information differently — one may overlook an old late payment while another may not, so rejection from one landlord does not mean all landlords will reject you.
  • Eviction filings that were dismissed or resolved in your favor may still appear on some reports, and you can request they be removed.

Who orders the report and when

The landlord or property manager orders the screening report, usually after you submit a rental process. They pay a fee to a screening company — typically between $20 and $50 — and the report comes back within one to three business days. Some landlords order it when ready; others wait until they have narrowed down their choices to two or three applicants.

You do not order the report yourself, and you cannot prevent a landlord from ordering one. However, federal law requires the landlord to tell you in writing that they are ordering a report, and they must use a consumer reporting agency — a company licensed to pull and sell this information. Screening reports ordered through unlicensed sources or without your knowledge are not legal.

How landlords use screening reports to make decisions

Landlords use screening reports to assess risk, but they do not all use them the same way. One landlord may reject anyone with a late payment in the past two years; another may overlook a single late payment if everything else looks solid. Some landlords care more about rental history than credit history, while others weight criminal background heavily.

Most landlords have written criteria — a minimum credit score, no collections accounts, no evictions in the past five years — but they also have discretion to make exceptions. If you have a blemish on your report, the landlord may ask you to explain it in writing, offer a co-signer, or pay a higher deposit. These conversations happen after the report comes back but before the landlord makes a final decision.

A landlord cannot reject you based solely on protected characteristics like race, national origin, religion, disability, or family status, even if your screening report shows something negative. If you believe you were rejected for a discriminatory reason, you can file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

What appears on your credit section

The credit section of a screening report shows your credit history from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It includes every account you have opened — credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, medical debt — and whether you paid on time.

Late payments stay on your credit report for seven years from the date you first missed the payment. Collections accounts also stay for seven years. Paid-off accounts remain visible but show a zero balance. Bankruptcy appears for seven to ten years depending on the chapter.

The report also shows your current credit score, usually a FICO score between 300 and 850. Most landlords want to see a score of 620 or higher, though some require 650 or 700. A few landlords do not check credit at all and focus only on rental history and background.

What appears on your rental history section

The rental history section is built by contacting your previous landlords and asking specific questions: Did the tenant pay rent on time? Did they break anything? Did they cause disturbances? Did they break the lease early? Some landlords respond in detail; others straightforward confirm dates of tenancy and whether you left in good standing.

If you have never rented before, this section will be blank or will note that no rental history was found. That is not automatically a problem — many first-time renters are approved — but it means the landlord has less information to go on and may rely more heavily on credit history or require a co-signer.

If a previous landlord reports a problem — a noise complaint, unpaid utilities, damage beyond normal wear — it will appear here. You have the right to dispute it if it is wrong, though the process can be slow. If you left on bad terms with a landlord, you may want to offer an explanation in your process letter before the landlord even orders the report.

What appears on your background check

The background check searches criminal records in counties where you have lived. It typically goes back seven to ten years, though some searches go back further. It shows felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions, and sometimes arrests that did not result in conviction.

A conviction does not automatically disqualify you. Landlords are allowed to consider criminal history, but they must do so fairly — they cannot reject all applicants with any criminal record, and they must consider how old the conviction is, how serious it was, and how it relates to being a tenant. A drug conviction from 15 years ago is weighted differently than a recent assault conviction.

Arrests that did not result in conviction should not appear on a screening report, though some companies include them anyway. If you see an arrest on your report that was dismissed or resulted in acquittal, you can dispute it and ask the screening company to remove it.

Your right to see and dispute the report

If a landlord denies you housing based on information in a screening report, they must tell you so in writing and provide you with the name and contact information of the screening company that prepared the report. You then have the right to request a free copy of the report from that company within 60 days.

Once you have the report, you can dispute any information that is wrong. Common errors include late payments that were actually on time, accounts that belong to someone else with a similar name, or criminal records that were expunged or dismissed. You submit a dispute in writing to the screening company, and they have 30 days to investigate and correct or remove the information.

If the screening company does not fix the error, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or with your state's attorney general. You can also ask the landlord to order a new report after the dispute is resolved, though they are not required to reconsider you.

How to improve your chances before explore

If you know your screening report will show problems, you have a few options. You can check your own credit report for free at annualcreditreport.com before you explore, so you know what the landlord will see. If you find errors, you can dispute them before explore — this takes time but gives you a cleaner report.

You can also be proactive in your process. Write a brief letter explaining any negative information — a late payment caused by job loss, a collections account you have since paid, a criminal conviction from years ago that you have moved past. Landlords appreciate honesty and context, and it gives them a reason to overlook something they might otherwise reject.

If your credit or rental history is weak, consider offering a co-signer (usually a parent or relative with better credit), paying a larger deposit, or paying the first month's rent and deposit upfront. Some landlords will work with you if you show you are serious about the tenancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landlord order a screening report without my permission?

No. Federal law requires the landlord to notify you in writing that they are ordering a report before they do so. This notification is usually part of the rental process or a separate form you sign. If a landlord orders a report without telling you, that is a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

How long does a screening report take?

Most screening reports come back within one to three business days. Some companies offer expedited reports that come back the same day, though landlords do not always pay for that option. If you are in a competitive rental market, ask the landlord how long they expect the process to take.

What if information on the report is wrong?

You have the right to dispute it. Contact the screening company in writing and explain what is wrong. They have 30 days to investigate. If they find the information is inaccurate, they must correct it and send you a corrected copy. If they do not fix it, you can file a complaint with the CFPB.

Does an eviction that was dismissed still hurt my chances?

It depends on the screening company and the landlord. Some reports include dismissed cases; others do not. If you see a dismissed eviction on your report, you can dispute it and ask for removal. You can also explain to the landlord that the case was dismissed and provide court documents proving it.

Can a landlord reject me because of a criminal conviction?

A landlord can consider criminal history, but they cannot reject you automatically or discriminate based on race or other protected characteristics. They must consider how old the conviction is, how serious it was, and whether it relates to being a tenant. If you believe you were rejected unfairly, you can file a complaint with HUD.