Tenant screening companies: who screens renters and how to dispute

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion also sell rental reports. See TransUnion Rental Screening and Experian RentBureau. For every type of consumer reporting agency, see our list of credit reporting agencies.

Common tenant screening errors

• Eviction cases that were dismissed, sealed, or won by the tenant, reported as judgments
• Another person's eviction or criminal record, matched by name only
• Records older than seven years (15 U.S.C. § 1681c)
• Rent balances that were paid, settled or never owed

Read how to dispute a tenant screening report, or see our tenant screening lawsuit page if you lost an apartment.

Common questions

Which company did my landlord use for screening?

If a landlord denies you, raises your deposit or adds conditions because of a screening report, the adverse action notice must name the company that supplied it and tell you how to get a free copy (15 U.S.C. § 1681m(a)).

Are rental platforms like Zillow or Apartments.com screening companies?

Some platforms prepare reports themselves and others pass along reports prepared by a credit bureau or screening company. Each guide below says who prepares the report, which tells you where to dispute.

Can I dispute an eviction on a tenant screening report?

Yes. Evictions that were dismissed, sealed, settled, or belong to someone else, and cases older than seven years, can be disputed. The screening company generally must reinvestigate within 30 days (§ 1681i).

Can I sue a tenant screening company?

Yes, if it reported inaccurate or outdated information without reasonable procedures, or failed to fix it after your dispute, and you were harmed, for example by losing an apartment (§§ 1681e(b), 1681i, 1681n, 1681o).