How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- TransUnion SmartMove is the direct standard: SmartCheck packages from 24.99 dollars, with a full credit report option at 38 dollars and income verification at the 41.99 dollar premium tier.
- RentPrep is the careful option: human screeners review its background checks, with the credit report at 29 dollars and credit plus full background at 49 dollars.
- RentSpree, Avail, TurboTenant and Zillow Rental Manager are free for landlords, with applicants paying the report fee, from 39.99 dollars at RentSpree to about 55 dollars at Avail.
- Nearly every service here runs on TransUnion data. The differences are workflow, verification and support, not secret data.
- The law sits with the landlord, not the software: get written consent before screening, follow adverse action steps when you decline, and check your state's screening fee caps and bans before charging applicants.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 TransUnion SmartMove | Direct bureau screening packages | $24.99 per report | No |
 RentPrep | Human reviewed background checks | $29 per report | No |
 RentSpree | Agents and landlords wanting full workflow | Free for landlords | Yes |
 Avail | Landlords wanting listings plus screening | Free for landlords | Yes |
 TurboTenant | Free landlord platform with screening | Free for landlords | Yes |
 Zillow Rental Manager | Screening inside Zillow's renter traffic | Free for landlords | Yes |
 LeaseRunner | Pay per report without a platform | See website | No |
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The best tenant screening services for landlords
Starting price$24.99 per report
Free planNo
SmartMove is the source. RentSpree, Avail, TurboTenant and Zillow all license TransUnion's rental data, so buying SmartMove directly buys the same underlying reports without a platform wrapped around them, at transparent per report prices.
It suits the landlord who has their own application process and simply needs the report. Its income insight at the premium tier estimates income from credit data, a useful check against stated wages, though bank verified income tools elsewhere test the claim harder.
What we like- Screening direct from TransUnion, the bureau whose data powers most rivals on this list, published package prices: SmartCheck Basic at 24.99 dollars for credit score and criminal background, a full credit report at 38 dollars, SmartCheck Plus at 39.99 dollars and Premium at 41.99 dollars adding income insights, ResidentScore is built for rental risk rather than generic lending, applicant pays or landlord pays, your choice at setup
Watch out for- Screening only: no listings, leases or rent collection around it, criminal and eviction databases are national compilations with the matching errors databases have, you manage your own consent and adverse action process, some landlords find direct bureau support slower than platform support
Starting price$29 per report
Free planNo
RentPrep sells accuracy of identity. Automated screening matches names against databases at machine speed and sometimes hangs another person's record on your applicant, which is both unfair and legally risky. RentPrep's screeners check the match, and its reports reflect that care.
Pay for it when the report will decide a close call, or when an applicant disputes a match. For high volume, low risk screening, the automated services below return the same bureau data faster and cheaper; for the report you may have to defend, a human compiled one is worth 49 dollars.
What we like- The outlier in this market: FCRA certified human screeners hand compile its background checks, which reduces false matches on common names, published pricing on its own samples page: credit report 29 dollars, background check 29 dollars, both together 49 dollars, income verification add on 10 dollars, income plus employment 15 dollars, built for independent landlords, with education and support aimed at them
Watch out for- Human review takes longer: allow one to two business days rather than minutes, the credit report piece is the automated SmartMove product, landlord pay only on the background package in its terms, no wider property management platform behind it
Starting priceFree for landlords
Free planYes
RentSpree is the workflow pick. Its screening is competent TransUnion work; its edge is everything around the report: applications arrive through its links and MLS channels, reports land in one dashboard, and the decision step helps you send the legally required notices rather than improvising them.
That adverse action button deserves emphasis. The commonest screening lawsuit is not about data, it is about a landlord who declined an applicant and never sent the notice. Tooling that makes the compliant step the easy step protects you more than a slightly richer report does.
What we like- Free for agents and landlords
- Applicants pay 39.99 dollars for the standard package or 49.99 dollars with the comprehensive report, per its own comparison, screening sits inside a full flow: applications, listing syndication to the major portals, and an accept or decline step that can send an FCRA compliant adverse action notice from the dashboard, bank verified income checking available, deep MLS integration makes it the agent standard in many markets
Watch out for- Where local law bans or caps applicant fees, the free to landlord model needs adjusting, optional PRO tiers add cost for rent collection and extras, from 8.99 dollars per month on its landlord tier, agent origins mean some tooling speaks to agents first, TransUnion data again, so report content matches rivals
#4Avail
Best for: Landlords wanting listings plus screening4.8/5 on
G2 (153 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit avail.co
Starting priceFree for landlords
Free planYes
Avail, part of the Realtor.com family, is for the landlord who wants one account from listing to lease: advertise the unit, take applications, screen with TransUnion data, then collect rent. Its screening price per report runs higher than RentSpree's, so the convenience is what you are buying.
For a landlord with a handful of units and no other software, that trade often wins. The platform's real competition is not SmartMove; it is the spreadsheet and shoebox it replaces.
What we like- Free landlord platform: listings syndicated to more than 24 sites per comparisons, applications and TransUnion screening in the same account, screening bundle reported around 55 dollars per report, paid by the applicant where allowed, optional Plus tier at about 9 dollars per unit per month adds faster payments and waived fees, owned by Realtor.com's operator, so it is not a fragile startup
Watch out for- The report price sits at the top of this list's range, free tier pushes some conveniences into Plus, screening is automated matching, with the usual database caveats, landlords outside its listing flow get less from it
#5TurboTenant
Best for: Free landlord platform with screening4.6/5 on
G2 (106 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit turbotenant.com
Starting priceFree for landlords
Free planYes
TurboTenant is the free platform most independent landlords meet first, and its screening is the standard TransUnion package delivered inside it. If you already list and collect rent there, screening there too is the path of least resistance.
As with every free for landlord model, check your local fee rules. Some jurisdictions cap application fees below typical report costs or ban passing them on, and the platform's default flow does not override your city's ordinance.
What we like- A genuinely free core platform used by more than 850,000 landlords per industry reporting, screening runs on TransUnion data with credit, criminal and eviction reports, applicants typically pay the screening fee, optional paid plans reported from about 12.42 to 16.58 dollars per month add features such as faster rent payouts, listings, applications, leases and rent collection in one place
Watch out for- Screening fee for applicants is set within its flow, so confirm the current amount your applicants will see, automated reports with database matching limits, premium features and prompts nudge free users toward paid tiers, support depth trails dedicated paid services
#6Zillow Rental Manager
Best for: Screening inside Zillow's renter traffic4.6/5 on
Capterra (103 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zillow.com
Starting priceFree for landlords
Free planYes
Zillow Rental Manager trades depth for gravity. Most renters start their search on Zillow, so its applications convert well, and its screening is adequate TransUnion reporting without a landlord fee.
It fits the landlord whose main problem is applicant flow. Landlords burned by shallow reports or who need documented, consistent criteria should graduate to RentSpree or RentPrep, where the process tooling is the product.
What we like- Your applicants are already on Zillow: listings, applications and screening meet them where they search, free for landlords, with applicants paying for their screening report, reports run on TransUnion data like most of this list, an application can be reused by the renter across Zillow listings within its window, which applicants appreciate
Watch out for- Screening depth and landlord tooling are simpler than RentSpree or Avail, you are a guest in Zillow's funnel: policies and pricing for renters can change, reusable applications mean you see reports ordered for other landlords' units too, limited customisation of criteria and workflow
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
LeaseRunner is the quiet alternative for landlords who like their own systems and just need reports: no platform migration, no monthly fee, order what you need per vacancy.
Because we could not verify a current price list, treat the first order as the price check, and compare the all in figure against SmartMove's published packages. Its place on this list is the model, screening unbundled, which some landlords will always prefer.
What we like- A screening only service: order credit, criminal and eviction reports without adopting anyone's property platform, applicant completes their side online and pays the fee or you do, financial and rental history verification add ons available, long standing niche provider for small landlords
Watch out for- Current report prices were not consistently published in the sources we verified, so this field says See website, no listings, leases or rent collection, smaller name, so integrations are few, automated database matching, as with most services
How we chose
We compared screening services a US landlord can use in October 2026, spanning direct bureau sales, human reviewed screening and free platforms. Pricing comes from provider pages and current August to October 2026 comparisons; RentPrep's figures are from its own samples page. Report content claims were compared against the underlying data source, which is TransUnion for most of the market. We did not run applicant reports for this guide. Legal points reflect the FCRA's general requirements and common state rules; they are information, not legal advice for your situation.
The landlord's legal duties, plainly
Consent first. Get the applicant's written authorisation before ordering any report, every time. The services provide the forms; using them is your responsibility, and a report pulled without consent is an FCRA violation however good the software is.
Decide on written criteria before you screen. Income multiple, credit history standards, eviction lookback period: set them in advance, apply them to every applicant the same way, and keep the document. Consistent criteria are your defence in any fair housing complaint and your protection against your own worst instincts.
Send the notice when a report costs someone the home. An adverse action notice must name the bureau that supplied the report, state the bureau did not make the decision, and explain the applicant's right to a free copy within 60 days and to dispute errors. RentSpree builds this into its flow; on other services, calendar it yourself.
Respect state and city rules. Application fee caps and bans, limits on using criminal records, lookback periods and source of income protections vary widely and change often. Chicago, New York, California and other jurisdictions all differ. Check your local rules each leasing season, because the fines and private claims land on the landlord, never on the software.
Frequently asked questions
How much does tenant screening cost?
Reports run 25 to 55 dollars per applicant across this list: SmartMove from 24.99 dollars, RentPrep 29 to 49 dollars, RentSpree applicants pay 39.99 to 49.99 dollars, Avail around 55 dollars. On the platform services the applicant usually pays; where local law forbids that, the landlord does.
Which data do these services actually check?
Credit report and score, national criminal databases, eviction records, and identity verification against Social Security data. Income is either estimated from credit data, as in SmartMove Premium, or verified against bank or payroll connections at RentSpree, Avail and RentPrep's add ons. Criminal database coverage varies by county reporting, which is why human review exists.
Can I decline an applicant based on a screening report?
Yes, with duties attached: a pre set criteria applied consistently, an adverse action notice with the bureau's details and dispute rights, and compliance with state and local limits on criminal history and other factors. Some jurisdictions restrict lookback periods and require individualised assessment of convictions.
Is a credit score enough to judge a tenant?
No. A rental specific score such as ResidentScore predicts tenancy risk better than a lending score, and both miss the strongest signals: verified income against the rent, rental history and references, and eviction records. Use the report as one input to written criteria, not as an oracle.
How long do reports take?
Automated services return reports in minutes to a few hours once the applicant completes their side. RentPrep's human reviewed packages take one to two business days. Delays usually sit with the applicant's completion or identity verification, not the bureau.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.