There’s one process that influences the entire rental application just as heavily as the details on the application itself.
If you’re not prepared for it, this can mean losing your application by getting rejected by your landlord – and that is an apartment background check.
This screening, which most renters encounter for the first time when a landlord conducts it, typically determines whether you will get the rental.
Understanding what an apartment background check includes and reviewing your own records before a landlord or property manager does puts you a step ahead.
This guide explains what an apartment background check includes, how to check what will appear on yours, and how to proceed when the results require your attention.
What’s in an Apartment Background Check?
An apartment background check is a screening report that a landlord or property management company requests from a consumer reporting agency to evaluate a prospective tenant.
It typically involves checking their rental history and details related to their finances, history, and identity.
However, the most important component of an apartment background check is credit history.
A landlord reviews the prospective tenant’s credit report to ensure they are financially responsible and will be on time with their payments.
The exact details related to this may include bankruptcies, employment history, and debt-to-income ratio.
Another critical component is criminal history, which is pulled from federal, state, and local databases.
Consumer reporting agencies compile records from these sources to produce a comprehensive report that includes criminal convictions.
However, as with any other component, this must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which limits how far certain details can go and what agencies can report.
Although not all, many background checks also dive deep into the tenant’s rental history, which includes prior addresses, evictions, and any late payments or lease violations.
After all these, and additional details that the landlord may request, the outcome will determine whether or not you get the green light to rent.
How to Check What Shows Up on Your Apartment Background Check
Checking your own records before applying is one of the best actions you can take.
A screening report compiled from public records and consumer files, which you likely already have access to since they are your own records, can help you understand whether or not you will get approved.
Given that you’re running a background check on yourself and not on someone else, the Fair Credit Reporting Act restrictions won’t apply to you, giving you access to a variety of tools.
Here’s how you can run a background check on yourself to see what shows up on your apartment screening in two different methods.
People Search Sites
A people search site is one of the fastest ways to see what would appear on your background check as far as your information that’s already on public records goes.
There are numerous people search sites that have the capability to scour the internet and dig through public databases to compile a comprehensive report.
You can use these people search sites to basically preview what would show up on your apartment background check.
While there are many sites that can help with this, we recommend using Information.com background checks.
It is by far the most capable and cost-effective online background check tool that enables its users to take a look at what would show up on their apartment background check with the click of a button.
However, note that these checks done through people search sites cannot be used by landlords to make tenancy decisions.
These tools are there for personal review rather than for anything formal – that’s why people search sites like Information.com are inexpensive and quick to provide details obtained through public records.
Consumer Reporting Agencies
The second, though a lot more expensive and longer, is the consumer reporting agencies.
To begin, your credit reports are available through three national credit bureaus.
You can then use specialty tenant screening companies to have access to your records, with each required to provide you a free copy of your file once every twelve months upon request.
This information you will find is pretty much the same as what will appear on a people search result.
If you find any error on your records, the FCRA entitles you to dispute it, and the agency must investigate, generally within 30 days, and correct or delete information that it cannot verify.
Completing this process before you apply is much easier than attempting to dispute after a landlord rejects housing.
Apartment Background Check: Conclusion
When you approach it carefully and take the time to review your own records, there’s nothing intimidating about apartment background checks.
Review your details before applying and know exactly what will appear in the results your landlord requests to prepare for any questions that might arise as a result.
