Tenant Screening FAQs

Get answers to common questions about AAOA tenant screening services, credit reports, applicant authorization, underwriting, pricing, and ordering reports.

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Do I need to be a member of AAOA to order a tenant screening report?

No. Paid AAOA membership is not required to order tenant screening services.

Some AAOA membership levels receive discounts on tenant screening packages along with additional landlord benefits. If you screen tenants regularly, you can compare AAOA membership options.

What information does a tenant credit check include?

AAOA offers tenant credit reports and credit scores as part of its screening services. Depending on the screening package selected, reports may also include:

  • Credit reports from TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax
  • Credit scores
  • Criminal records
  • Eviction history
  • Previous address history
  • Social Security Number verification
  • Sex offender search
  • TeleCheck verification
  • Terrorist and federal crime search

You can also review AAOA's tenant credit check and tenant background check options.

Can I order a tenant screening report at any time, day or night?

Yes. You can place a tenant screening order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Many screening results are returned immediately. If the order includes a credit report and score, those results are released after the applicant verifies their identity and authorizes release of their credit information, unless your account has completed underwriting.

I need to run a tenant credit check now. Is this instant tenant screening?

Yes. Screening reports are processed online, and available results are returned immediately.

For a credit report and score, a non-underwritten account requires the applicant to verify their identity and authorize release of their credit information.

If your account is underwritten, the credit report and score can be returned immediately at checkout without requiring the applicant to complete that step.

What information do I need from the applicant to order a tenant screening report?

You can order screening reports using the applicant's:

  • Full legal name, including first, middle, and last name
  • Social Security Number
  • Date of birth
  • Driver's license information
  • Unique email address

The applicant's email address is not required if your account has completed the underwriting process.

Is accessing the credit report a hard or soft pull? Does it hurt the tenant's credit score?

AAOA tenant credit reports use a soft inquiry. The credit check does not impact the applicant's credit score.

Is the tenant's email address required to order a tenant credit report?

Not if your account has completed underwriting.

For a non-underwritten account, the applicant's unique email address is required because the applicant must verify their identity and authorize release of their credit information.

AAOA generally recommends considering underwriting if you own or manage more than 10 units. See the What is underwriting? question below for details.

What if the tenant does not have a Social Security Number?

You can still order a tenant screening package, but the credit report and Social Security Number verifier will not be available through the standard process.

If your account is underwritten, you may be able to obtain a credit report, although the Social Security Number verifier will still not be available.

Without a Social Security Number, eviction-history results may also be less comprehensive.

What if I entered incorrect information when ordering the tenant background report?

Do not immediately place a second order.

If information was entered incorrectly by mistake, or the applicant provided incorrect information, contact AAOA first. We may be able to help correct the issue without requiring you to pay for another report.

Placing a new order may result in an additional charge.

Do you verify the tenant's employment history and/or prior rental history?

Yes. Tenant screening orders can be customized to include employment verification and/or rental-history verification. Additional fees may apply.

I need to run a report on a married couple. Do I need to pay for each of them?

Yes. Tenant screening reports are priced per applicant.

The price shown for a screening package is a one-time charge for one applicant. An additional applicant, including a spouse, requires a separate screening report and an additional charge.

Do I need to run a tenant screening report on every person applying to my rental?

A tenant background check is not universally required, but screening the adults applying to live in the property can help you evaluate applicants consistently using credit, criminal, eviction, and other background information.

Landlords should also make sure their screening policies comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

Are your credit reports from Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax?

AAOA offers credit reports from all three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

Accounts receive a TransUnion report by default. After completing underwriting, you can select an Experian, TransUnion, and/or Equifax credit report.

What is underwriting?

Underwriting is an optional approval process that gives qualified rental owners and property managers direct access to credit reports for the permissible purpose of tenant screening.

Once approved, credit reports can be returned immediately at checkout without requiring the applicant's email address or applicant authorization through the standard online process.

The underwriting process can take as little as three business days. It generally requires documentation from the rental owner or manager and an onsite inspection.

Requested documentation may include:

  • A copy of your driver's license
  • Completed rental applications or leases for existing tenants
  • A voided bank check

During the onsite inspection, the inspector will look for required safeguards, including a locked filing cabinet and paper shredder.

The underwriting fee ranges from $0 to $79 depending on your AAOA membership.

The inspection fee is generally a one-time fee when rentals are managed from a commercial location and an annual fee when managed from a residential location.

To begin underwriting, log in to your AAOA account and select the underwriting option from the Tenant Screening menu.

Is tenant screening through AAOA secure?

AAOA follows security requirements established for access to consumer credit information and complies with applicable Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements.

Applicant information should always be handled securely and used only for a permissible tenant-screening purpose.

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