Get peace of mind with tenant criminal background checks

SmartMove makes it easy to run a criminal background check to help fill vacancies fast. To receive results within minutes, you only have to take a few steps. Here’s how to run a criminal background check on a tenant with SmartMove:

1. Create a free account: Signing up for a SmartMove account is completely free. With no hidden costs or set-up fees, getting started is easy.
2. Gain consent: To remain compliant with federal regulations like the FCRA, your next step is gaining consent from your rental applicant to run a criminal background check. To do this, simply provide your renter’s email address, and we’ll handle the rest.
3. Review results: After your prospective tenant issues consent, we’ll run our criminal background check and deliver near-instant results. This way, you can make an informed leasing decision on the spot and fill vacancies quickly.

Now that you know how to run a criminal background check on a tenant, it’s time to get started. Choose TransUnion SmartMove to find your next tenant.

Conducting tenant criminal background checks should be a common practice for every landlord. There are many benefits of online tenant screening that can help ensure you and your property are protected. Here are some of the reasons why you should run a criminal background screening on a tenant:

• Safety: First and foremost, a criminal background check on a renter can help improve safety and security by ensuring you approve tenants that don’t pose potential risks, such as those with violent or dangerous behavior.
  
• Property protection: Investing in real estate can be expensive, which means it’s important to protect your property to ensure you continue to generate consistent income. Running criminal background checks on renters can do just that. Reviewing criminal histories helps identify applicants with a history of property damage, theft, or other behaviors that can put your property at risk.
• Financial protection: Running a tenant criminal background check can also protect you financially, especially in the event of a possible eviction. The cost of an eviction can be high, but running a criminal background check can help mitigate this risk by placing responsible and trustworthy tenants in your units.
• Fraud prevention: With more landlords switching to online applications, the risk of fraud in the rental housing industry is on the rise. By using a trusted screening service like SmartMove, you can ensure applicants are who they say they are, so you can have peace of mind knowing you’re approving qualified tenants.

These are some of the top reasons why landlords should always screen their rental applicants. With a criminal background check for renters from SmartMove, you can rest assured knowing you made a confident leasing decision.

TransUnion SmartMove criminal background checks offer landlords access to key information needed to make confident leasing decisions. With a tenant criminal background check, landlords gain access to:

• Multiple state criminal background checks*
• Data from the National Sex Offender Public Registry
• Records from federal agencies, including:    
  • FBI
  • Drug Enforcement Administration
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
  • U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control
  • Interpol

*The Criminal Report, National Eviction Related Proceedings Report and SmartMove recommendation service (a credit score-based recommendation) are subject to federal, state, and local laws that may limit or restrict SmartMove's ability to return some records or recommendations. Certain jurisdictions may limit what records are eligible for return, click here for more information.

With TransUnion SmartMove, who pays is up to you. As a landlord, you have the option to pay for tenant criminal background checks, or you can pass that cost on to rental applicants as part of their application. With the option to not have to pay out of pocket, you can further protect your bottom line while ensuring you approve quality rental applicants.

What are common red flags that can appear on a tenant criminal background check?

When it comes to tenant criminal background checks, there are various red flags to keep an eye out for. Some tenant screening warning signs include:

• Criminal charges: One of the top red flags that can appear on a tenant criminal background check are criminal charges, whether they’re misdemeanors or felonies. When reviewing a tenant’s criminal history, look for criminal charges that can put you, your property, or other tenants at risk. From there, you can judge these offenses to determine whether an applicant has the ability to fulfill their obligations as a renter.

• Missing or inaccurate information: Missing or inaccurate information on a tenant’s rental application should be addressed immediately. If there are inconsistencies between your criminal background check and the information provided by the applicant, such as a tenant claiming they’ve never been evicted but the report stating so, you may want to factor in that information when making your decision.

• Moving often: If a background report has multiple addresses in a short span of time, it can indicate a further issue. Maybe the tenant moved often for work, or perhaps they’ve had issues with previous landlords. If this is the case, you may want to have a conversation with the applicant to gain further context.

By understanding the red flags that can appear on a criminal background check for renters, you can know what to look out for when screening prospective tenants to ensure you make the right decision. Checking a prospective tenant’s credit can also be wise, as it can help you determine whether they have a history of non-payment of rent or a steady stream of reliable income to meet their monthly rental payments.

Depending on the screening service you choose, criminal background check results can take days or weeks. With TransUnion SmartMove, that doesn’t have to be the case. With our criminal background checks for tenants, you can receive most results same day, so you can make informed leasing decisions on the spot.