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Tenant screening report: what it means

A tenant screening report is a report many landlords use to decide whether to rent to you and how much to charge for the security deposit. Specialty companies prepare it, and it can include your credit report, your rental history including eviction cases and lawsuits, employment verification, criminal history and a score or recommendation.

In Spanish it is

Reporte de selección de inquilinos

Also written as: tenant screening · tenant background check

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

Verified on October 17, 2026

2 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

It is not the same as a credit report. If a landlord denies you, or asks for a larger deposit or higher rent, because of the report, federal law requires the landlord to tell you, name the company and explain your right to a free copy and to dispute errors.

An example

Diego is turned down for an apartment because of an eviction case that is not his. The landlord's letter names the company that made the report. Diego asks that company for his free copy and disputes the error so it gets corrected.

You will see it in…

The rental application, where you authorize the background check
The landlord's denial or adverse action notice
The report you request from the tenant screening company

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “tenant screening report”

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. CFPB · What is a tenant screening report? (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. CFPB · What should I do if my rental application is denied because of a tenant screening report? (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026