Tenant screening companies are the reason your rental application got denied — and most renters never learn their name. This guide will settle three things for you: who these companies are, exactly what federal law says they owe you, and how to fight a wrong report and win back your application fee. If you were just denied, you have rights that start the day you get the notice.
How Tenant Screening Companies Actually Works
When you apply for an apartment, the landlord rarely digs through court files. Instead, they buy a report. The biggest tenant screening companies include TransUnion SmartMove, CoreLogic (which powers SafeRent scores), RentGrow, AppFolio Screening, and dozens of smaller resellers. They pull credit data, eviction court filings, criminal records, and sometimes a “score” or a flat recommend/decline.
Here is the part that hurts. Many tenant screening companies match records by name and birth date alone. As a result, someone else’s eviction or conviction can land in your file. The FCRA requires these companies to follow “reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy” under 15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b). However, that duty is often ignored until a tenant pushes back.
Federal law sets the floor. State and city law can raise it, and the numbers vary a lot:
| State / City | Extra protection | Exact figure |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | Rental application fees banned outright | $0 — no fee allowed |
| Wisconsin | Fee cap, plus you must get a copy of your screening results | $25 maximum |
| Delaware | Fee cap tied to rent | Greater of $50 or 10% of monthly rent |
| Cook County, IL (Chicago area) | Just Housing Amendment — conviction lookback limit plus required individual assessment | 3 years |
| New Jersey | Fair Chance in Housing Act — no criminal check before a conditional offer | 6 / 4 / 1-year lookback by offense degree |
Separately, the FCRA’s own clock in § 1681c bars most negative items older than seven years, including old civil judgments and collections. Sealed eviction cases must come off your report entirely. States including California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Massachusetts now offer some form of eviction record sealing or use limit. For state-by-state detail, see our guides on eviction records by state.
Tenant Screening Companies: Your Rights, Step by Step
Follow these steps in order. They work best when you move fast.
1. Demand the adverse action notice. If a landlord denies you, raises your deposit, or demands a cosigner because of a report, § 1681m(a) requires them to tell you. The notice must name the screening company and give its contact information. Ask in writing if you did not get one. 2. Get your free report. Contact the screening company directly and request your file under § 1681g. It is free after an adverse action. 3.
Read every line. Look for cases that are not yours, dismissed evictions listed as judgments, sealed records, duplicate entries, and wrong dates.
4. Dispute in writing, not by phone. Send a short letter to the screening company. Name the wrong item, say why it is wrong, and attach proof — a court dismissal order, a sealing order, a different middle name or birth date. Keep a copy and send it with tracking. 5. Send the landlord the corrected report. Many tenants in that spot can get the application reconsidered or the fee refunded. 6.
Keep records. If the company ignores you, willful violations carry statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 plus attorney fees under § 1681n.
The Mistakes That Cost Tenants
The biggest mistake is silence. Most people assume a denial is final and move on to the next listing. Typically, the error stays in the file and denies them the next four apartments too. Disputing once can clear a record that would otherwise follow you for years.
The second mistake is disputing with the wrong company. Tenant screening companies are separate from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion’s consumer credit division. Fixing your credit report does not fix a RentGrow or CoreLogic file. For example, an eviction record pulled from county court data lives with the screening vendor, not the credit bureau. You must dispute with each company that reported it.
A third mistake is paying fee after fee. In most cases, you can ask whether the landlord accepts a reusable (“portable”) screening report. Seven states — Colorado, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Washington, and California — now have portable screening report laws, and four of them require landlords to waive the fee when you provide a qualifying report. Finally, do not sign a blanket authorization without reading it. Learn more in our tenant screening guides.
When to Get Help (Legal Aid or an Attorney)
Call for help right away if you have an active eviction case, a housing voucher about to expire, or a denial that appears tied to your race, disability, family status, or source of income. Those are urgent. Deadlines in eviction court move faster than any dispute letter.
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Free help exists. Start with the Legal Services Corporation directory at lsc.gov, or find a HUD-approved housing counselor at hud.gov. Your state court’s self-help portal often has free dispute and answer forms. Many fair housing centers review screening denials at no cost.
Private attorneys also take FCRA cases, often on contingency, because the law shifts attorney fees to the losing company. However, no one can promise a result. Check with your court or a local legal-aid office about your specific facts before you rely on any deadline in this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find out which screening company the landlord used?
Yes. The adverse action notice must name the company and give its address and phone number. If the landlord refuses, ask in writing and keep the request — that refusal is itself an FCRA problem.
Does a dismissed eviction case still show up?
It should not be reported as a judgment, but it often is. Tenant screening companies frequently pull raw court filings without checking the outcome. Send the dismissal order with your dispute and ask for full deletion.
Can I get my application fee back after a wrong report?
Sometimes. Several states require refunds when screening was never run or when the report was inaccurate, and Wisconsin caps the fee at $25 with a copy of the results. Ask the landlord in writing first, then check your state attorney general’s consumer page.
Protect your stuff while you sort this out
A landlord’s insurance does not cover your belongings — renters insurance does, often for a few dollars a month. Compare options before your next move.
Find Your State’s Exact Rules
Notice periods, deposit caps, and the eviction timeline all change from state to state. Pick your state to see the exact days, dollar limits, and steps that apply where you live.
See Tenant Rights in All 50 States →
Sources & How to Verify
The rules on this page are drawn from official government and legal-aid sources. Tenant law changes, so always confirm the exact rule with your state’s statute or a local legal-aid office.
- HUD: hud.gov — federal renter protections and fair housing
- Legal Services Corporation: lsc.gov — find free legal aid in your state
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex — plain-English legal definitions
- Your state statute & court self-help portal: search “[your state] landlord tenant act” and “[your state] court self-help eviction” for the exact law and forms
Content last reviewed August 2026. If you notice outdated information, please contact us.
Related Guides
- Tenant Rights by State (50-State Guide)
- More in This Category
- Tenant Scenarios — What to Do When…
- Notices, Letters & Documents
- Comparison Guides
- Tenant Rights Legal Glossary
Informational only — not legal advice. Tenant Rights Info is an independent educational resource, not a law firm, and this page does not provide legal advice. Landlord-tenant law varies by state and city and changes over time, so always verify the exact rule with your state’s statute, your local court’s self-help portal, or a legal-aid office. For urgent situations like an active eviction, contact a local legal-aid office or a licensed tenant attorney in your state right away.