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Finding reliable renters is one of the most critical tasks for DIY landlords and property managers. The difference between a good tenant and a bad one can mean the difference between steady rental income and late payments (or worse). Luckily, tenant screening platforms like Clara and Cozy (now Apartments.com) are here to simplify the process. But with two strong contenders, which one is the right fit for your rental business?
This guide compares Clara and Cozy (Apartments.com), offering insights into their features, strengths, and which platform aligns with your specific needs. Whether you're a seasoned landlord or just starting, this comparison will help you make an informed decision.
A tenant screening service is a specialized tool designed to help landlords evaluate potential tenants' suitability for their properties. These services often include checks for:
Using tenant screening platforms is quicker, more reliable, and eliminates much of the guesswork compared to manual checks. With software like Clara and Cozy, landlords can go beyond basic evaluations to find tenants who meet their standards while maintaining compliance with housing laws.
Let's take an in-depth look at the core features of each platform and how they stack up.
Clara is an innovative tenant screening tool designed for today's landlords and property owners. It streamlines the rental application and tenant verification process to save you time and effort while ensuring transparency and reliability.
Why choose Clara?
Clara’s digital tools focus on making tenant screening simple, secure, and efficient for landlords without sacrificing trust on the renter side.
Previously known as Cozy, Apartments.com offers a suite of tools designed to help DIY landlords streamline rental management. While Cozy transitioned to Apartments.com, many of its previous features remain intact.
Why choose Apartments.com?
Apartments.com leverages its massive rental marketplace, making it ideal for landlords who prefer an all-in-one solution for listing, screening, and rent collection.
Now, let's break it down feature by feature to highlight the key differences.
1. Digital Rental Applications
Clara: Enables landlords to send Fair Housing-compliant online applications, where renters provide detailed profiles, including rental history, employment status, references, and preferences. The process is secure and ensures consistent evaluation standards.
Apartments.com: Offers standard online rental applications. Landlords receive basic details like employment and rental history. However, its customization is somewhat limited compared to Clara.
Winner: Clara (More renter insights and Fair Housing-compliant features)
2. Background Checks and Credit History
Clara: Partners with TransUnion to provide detailed credit reports, including scores, total credit lines, collections, and financial red flags. Clara also offers state and national criminal history checks, eviction records, and employment verification powered by Argyle.
Apartments.com: Provides tenant screening reports (credit, background, and eviction). However, the reports are tenant-paid by default, and landlords cannot cover this cost themselves. While effective, it lacks advanced verification layers.
Winner: Clara (More robust and comprehensive screening options)
3. Identity and Income Verification
Clara: Streamlines ID and income verification with Veriff for secure, reliable results. Renters can easily log in through their payroll providers to share employment and income information or upload documents like pay stubs and W-2s. These are then cross-checked to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Apartments.com: Does not currently offer income or identity verification outside the provided rental application details.
Winner: Clara (Advanced verification through partnerships)
4. Rental Listings
Clara: Focuses on tenant screening and does not include a property listing service. However, its advanced screening tools make it a strong complementary platform.
Apartments.com: Allows landlords to list properties across its vast network, boasting high visibility for your rental.
Winner: Apartments.com (Ideal if you need built-in property listing services)
5. Pricing
Clara: Offers a transparent pricing model where tenants can cover the cost of screening. There’s no fee to create an account and access the platform’s core features.
Apartments.com: Tenant screening reports are tenant-paid and cannot be covered by landlords. Basic listings are free, but premium listing options and additional tools may incur charges.
Winner: Clara (Clear pricing flexibility for landlords and tenants)
6. Renter-Friendly Features
Clara: Prioritizes a smooth, transparent, and secure process for renters. By allowing renters to access insights about what landlords see, Clara creates a highly tenant-centric experience.
Apartments.com: Offers basic application tools but lacks the comprehensive renter empowerment that Clara focuses on.
Winner: Clara (Provides better transparency and renter control)
Choosing between Clara and Apartments.com depends on your specific needs as a landlord or property owner:
Both platforms bring valuable features to the table, but Clara edges out Apartments.com in tenant screening due to its thoroughness, transparency, and user-friendly tools.
Reliable tenants are the foundation of a successful rental business. Clara delivers cutting-edge tools and transparency, making it the top choice for landlords focused on efficient and effective tenant screening.
For those who want an all-in-one rental property listing and management experience, Apartments.com might be a better fit. However, Clara's advanced screening capabilities complement listing platforms perfectly if you’re willing to use two platforms side by side.
Curious about Clara? Try it today! Elevate your screening process with modern tools designed for landlords like you. Sign up for Clara now and see the difference for yourself.
