Does a landlord need permission to run a tenant's credit check?
A landlord may obtain a credit or tenant screening report only for a permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Considering a rental application the person submitted is one. Curiosity about a neighbor, a friend, an ex or a tenant you want to evaluate for no business reason is not. The FCRA does not spell out a signed form for a landlord's own application pull, but screening companies require your certification and the applicant's authorization, and some states add rules, so get signed written consent every time.
What counts as a permissible purpose
Section 604 of the FCRA, 15 U.S.C. 1681b, lists the only reasons a consumer reporting agency may give someone a report. Three matter to a landlord.
| Reason | What it means for a landlord |
|---|---|
| A legitimate business need in a business transaction the consumer started (1681b(a)(3)(F)(i)) | A person applies to rent from you and you need the report to decide. The FTC lists this as the basis for tenant screening. |
| Written instructions of the consumer (1681b(a)(2)) | An applicant signs a form telling the agency to give the report to you. This is the cleanest basis. |
| A court order or a subpoena | Unusual for a landlord, and handled by an attorney. |
The key phrase is that the consumer started the transaction. An application is the usual proof. Pulling a report before there is an application, on someone who has not asked to rent from you, is the kind of pull the FTC warns about.
Why signed consent is still the habit to keep
You can legitimately pull a report on someone who applied, but there are four practical reasons to get a signed authorization anyway.
- Screening companies make you certify your purpose and often require proof of the applicant's authorization before they will release a report.
- Some state and local laws add disclosure or consent steps for tenant screening.
- A signed form shows the pull was authorized if anyone questions it later.
- It tells the applicant up front which reports you will pull, so there are no surprises at the adverse action stage.
Consent under the FCRA is not a cure-all. A signed form does not let you use a report to treat applicants differently because of a protected trait, and it does not replace an adverse action notice.
How to run a pull the safe way
- Use a screening company, not a friend who has a pulling account, and sign its landlord agreement.
- Give each adult applicant a written disclosure that you will get a consumer report, and collect a signed authorization before you order it.
- Order the report only after you have a completed application from that person.
- Look at the report only for the decision at hand. Do not share it with anyone who does not need it, such as a neighbor or a friend who asks.
- If a report affects your decision, send the adverse action notice.
- Store or destroy the report under your retention schedule, using reasonable measures.
Pulls to avoid
- Running a report on a person who never applied, to check out a neighbor, a coworker or a date.
- Using another business's login or letting a manager use yours for personal reasons.
- Reusing an old report for a new application without checking whether it is still allowed and still current.
- Telling an applicant what the report says in a way that breaks the screening company's contract.
Obtaining a report under false pretenses is a federal crime under 15 U.S.C. 1681q, and a person harmed by a willful violation can sue under section 1681n. For any live situation, ask an attorney who handles landlord law in your state.
Where DoorKeeping stops and starts
DoorKeeping does not run tenant screening or credit checks. You run the report with the screening company you choose, and you can file the signed authorization and the result summary with the rest of the unit's documents in DoorKeeping. It gives no legal advice.
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. 1681b, Permissible purposes of consumer reports, read Oct 30, 2026
- FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know, read Oct 30, 2026
- 15 U.S.C. 1681q, Obtaining information under false pretenses, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Can I run a credit check on someone before they apply?
- Generally no. The permissible purpose is a transaction the person started, so wait for a completed application and an authorization.
- Is signed consent required by the FCRA for tenant screening?
- The statute lets a landlord get a report for a rental application without a specific form, but screening companies and some states require authorization, so collect it every time.
- Can I share an applicant's credit report with a co-owner?
- Share it only with people who need it for the rental decision, and follow the screening company's contract. Do not hand it to people with no role in the decision.