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Tenant screening is a crucial step for landlords looking to find the ideal renter for their investment property. Properly vetting potential tenants can help ensure that they will pay rent on time, take care of the property, and adhere to the terms of the lease. By using reliable tenant screening services, landlords can protect their investments, reduce the risk of evictions, and create a positive rental experience for both themselves and their renters.
While many screening services on this list provide similar basic reports, some offer more flexibility in cost, useful tools, added security, and additional verification. Here’s a breakdown of the 10 best tenant screening services for landlords in Denver:
Clara is a digital rental application and screening platform that provides a seamless experience for both renters and landlords. It collects, consolidates, and secures application information to help renters find their ideal homes and landlords find their ideal renters.
Clara allows you to create and share an online application with potential renters. Renters create a profile with details about previous and current rental history, previous and current employment, references, lease preferences, and more. Applications are Fair Housing Compliant and ensure you follow a consistent and fair process.
Clara provides a TransUnion credit report that includes a renter's credit score, total credit lines, collections, and more. Clara conducts an eviction search, looking for past court actions, unlawful detainers, monetary judgements as well as an extensive criminal history search that searches through more than 200 million records, both at the national and state level. Each background check searches for felonies, sex offenses, wants & warrants, and more.
Clara partners with Plaid, an advanced security and encryption tool, to verify identification documents, phone numbers, name, date of birth, ID numbers, and more. With Plaid's income verification, you can easily access employer and gross and net income data via payroll providers and documents like pay stubs, W2s, and 1099s.
Apartments.com Rental Manager, formerly known as Cozy, is here to make managing tenants super clear and easy. This platform is designed to streamline the entire rental management process, offering various tools and features that help landlords stay organized and efficient. You can get TransUnion credit reports and comprehensive background checks for $24.99, which provide critical information such as an applicant's income-to-rent ratio, job status, household details, and rental history. This thorough vetting process ensures you have all the necessary information to make informed decisions about potential tenants.
Just a heads-up, Apartments.com doesn’t include landlord reference checks in its services. This step is crucial as it provides firsthand insights into the applicant's behavior as a tenant, including their payment history, how they maintained the property, and any issues they might have caused. Taking this extra measure to obtain those references can help you avoid potential problems and ensure you’re selecting reliable and responsible tenants.
SmartMove gives you all the detailed credit, criminal, and eviction checks you’d expect, as well as an Income Insights Report.
Powered by TransUnion, SmartMove focuses on giving you a clear picture of your applicant’s finances. It even checks if their reported income is legitimate or if you need to dig deeper. Their packages range from $24.99 to $41.00 per applicant, depending on what you need.
Just like Clara, renters kick off their own SmartMove screening reports, which means they don't have to share sensitive info (like their SSN) with the landlord.
RentPrep gives you two options: a basic screening package and a premium one. Plus, you can throw in extra reports, like income verification, if you need them.
With the basic package, for $21, you get a rental background check that covers identity verification, eviction and bankruptcy reports, a credit score range, and details on any judgments or liens. Want more? Add a Nationwide Criminal and Sex Offender Search for $6, a credit decision report for $11, or income verification for $10.
The SmartMove Full Credit Report package, priced at $38, comes with a credit report, a ResidentScore based on past renting behavior, and a rental background check. Unlike the basic package, applicants have to reply to an email to see their results. If you need a Judgment and Liens report, that'll be an extra $7, and income verification will cost you $10 more, bringing the total to $55.
RentPrep pulls its data from databases they check themselves. Just a heads-up, you might end up spending more on add-ons to get all the info you need to screen applicants.
RentRedi allows you to request a TransUnion credit report, criminal report, and eviction report for $35/per applicant. The applicant will need to authorize a credit check to complete the screening process, which is pretty standard for most tenant screening services.
In addition to screening reports, you can request a pre-screening questionnaire before property showings to determine whether they meet your criteria or not.
You can get a credit report, criminal background check, and eviction check through RentSpree for $38 per applicant. Either you or the applicant can cover the fee, depending on what works best for you.
Not all reports are available in every state, so make sure to check if your state is excluded before buying their tenant screening bundle.
The TurboTenant screening package includes a TransUnion credit check, criminal background check, and eviction report. Just enter an applicant’s email, and TurboTenant will handle the rest, reaching out to them for identity verification. Once they’re done, the results will show up on your dashboard right away.
You don't have to pay the $55 application fee as the landlord, but you can cover it if you prefer the applicants not to pay.
With Zillow Rental Manager, you can effortlessly manage your rental properties and thoroughly screen potential tenants. This comprehensive tool allows you to request essential information such as a credit check, a background check, eviction history, and income verification. For just $29 per applicant, you gain access to these detailed reports. The information remains available for a full 30 days, providing you with ample time to carefully review each applicant's credentials and make informed decisions about who will be the best fit for your rental property.
Innago is a property management platform perfect for landlords with one to a thousand units. For tenant screening, they offer detailed reports on credit history, criminal history, and eviction history. Reports cost $30 to $35, depending on what you need. You can also add income verification for $10 to see if they can afford the rent.
If local laws limit what you can screen for, Innago lets you turn off certain reports.
For a one-time fee, you can request individual or bundled tenant screening reports like a TransUnion credit report, background check, and eviction report.
The TransUnion credit report includes the applicant’s credit score, open tradelines, overdue debts, hard inquiries, and any collections. The background check covers all U.S. territories, the OFAC Terrorist Watch List, the Most Wanted List, Sex Offenders Lists, and criminal history from all states. The eviction report provides details on any past evictions. You or the applicant can cover the application fee, depending on your preference. Besides screening reports, you can request a rental application to get their rental history, job history, and income verification for free.
Their system automatically conducts landlord reference checks once an applicant provides their previous landlord’s contact info, making it easier to see what other landlords have to say about their renting habits. An applicant’s personal info, like social security numbers, is secured on the platform, so you don’t have to worry about handling sensitive information.
With so many tenant screening options available, Denver landlords have a wealth of tools at their disposal to ensure they find the best tenants for their properties. Each service offers unique features and varying levels of detail, so it's important to do your own due diligence to determine which one aligns best with your specific needs. Whether you prioritize cost, comprehensiveness, or convenience, there's a tenant screening service out there that can help you make informed, confident decisions about who to welcome into your rental property.