How to read a tenant screening report
Read a screening report section by section against criteria you wrote before you saw the applicant. Check the identity details first, then payment history and collections in the credit section, then eviction records, then criminal records, and note anything that looks wrong or old. Apply the same standard to every applicant, and give an adverse action notice if the report affects your decision.
Start with identity, then your written criteria
Confirm that the name, date of birth and past addresses on the report match the application. A mismatch can mean a mixed file, where another person's records appear on the report, or a mistake on the application. Ask the applicant to explain before you rely on anything in the report.
Have your criteria open beside the report. Good criteria are short and measurable, such as a minimum income multiple, no eviction judgment in the last few years, and a credit threshold. Our guide to written screening criteria shows how to write them.
The credit section
A score is one number. The detail beneath it tells you more about rent risk.
- Payment history: late payments over 30 days, how recent, and how many.
- Collections: unpaid debts sent to collections, and whether any are rent or utilities owed to a prior landlord.
- Balances and limits: heavy use of available credit can point to strain.
- Medical debt and student loans: apply your written rule consistently, and note that a medical collection is different from an unpaid prior rent.
- Thin file: no history is not bad history. Plan for how you will treat applicants with little credit, such as a larger deposit where the law allows or a co-signer.
The eviction section
Look for the filing date, the case outcome and the amount. A filing is not a judgment. Many cases are dismissed, settled or filed in error. A judgment against the applicant, especially for unpaid rent in the last few years, is far more relevant than a filing alone.
If your policy turns on evictions, write down how far back you look and what outcome counts. Some places limit use of eviction records, and some seal them. Our post on denying an applicant with a past eviction covers the practical choices.
The criminal section
This is the section where the most mistakes and the most legal risk sit. Check that the record belongs to your applicant and not someone with a similar name. Check the offense, the date and the outcome. An arrest without a conviction is not a conviction.
A blanket ban on anyone with any record can create fair housing risk because of its uneven effect on protected groups. HUD's guidance says a landlord should consider the nature of an offense, how long ago it happened and whether it relates to the safety of other residents or property. Some states and cities also limit the use of criminal records. Check your local rules and write a narrow, specific policy rather than a blanket one.
When something looks wrong or unclear
Reports contain errors. If an item looks wrong, tell the applicant what you saw, give them the chance to explain or to dispute it with the reporting company, and then decide. Do not guess. Keep notes of what you were told.
Example a made-up report shows a $1,900 collection from a "prior landlord". The applicant says it was a deposit dispute they settled. The owner asks for the settlement letter, sees it is paid in full, and treats the item as resolved. The owner makes the same request of any applicant with a similar item.
Decide, record and notify
Write one line on why you approved or denied, tied to a written criterion. If the report was the reason for a denial, a higher deposit or a higher rent, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires an adverse action notice naming the reporting company and the applicant's rights. See 15 U.S.C. 1681m and the FTC guide for landlords. Our adverse action notice guide has the contents.
How DoorKeeping fits
DoorKeeping keeps only the ids and each part's result, clear or consider. The full report opens from Checkr on your request and is not stored. Claude or ChatGPT, connected to DoorKeeping, can tell you who is being screened and where each screening stands, but the report and the decision stay on doorkeeping.com and with you. DoorKeeping fills in an adverse action notice for you to send.
A note on the law
This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know, read Oct 30, 2026
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681m (Cornell LII), read Oct 30, 2026
- Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604 (Cornell LII), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- What should a landlord look for in a screening report?
- Matching identity details, recent late payments and collections, eviction judgments, and criminal records that relate to your written criteria. Compare each item to rules you set before you looked.
- Is an eviction filing the same as an eviction?
- No. A filing only means a case was started. Look at the outcome and the date, because many cases are dismissed or settled.
- What if the report has an error?
- Tell the applicant what you found, let them explain or dispute it with the reporting company, and decide after that. Keep a note of what you were told.