Tenant Screening Companies

Being turned down for an apartment because of a tenant screening report — especially one that’s wrong — is more than frustrating; it can leave you scrambling for a place to live. Landlords and property managers rely on tenant screening companies, which are consumer reporting agencies covered by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), to check applicants’ rental, credit, criminal, and eviction history. When those reports contain errors — an eviction that isn’t yours, a case that was dismissed, or someone else’s record blended into your file — you can be denied a home you fully qualify for. At The Kim Law Firm, we help renters in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania fight back.

How tenant screening works

Landlords order screening reports that pull together eviction records, rental and payment history, credit information, and criminal records. If you’re denied, delayed, or charged a higher deposit because of the report, the landlord must give you an “adverse action” notice identifying the screening company — which is how you get a copy of the report and the chance to dispute what’s wrong.

Common tenant screening errors we see

• An eviction filing that isn’t yours, or one that was dismissed or resolved in your favor
• Someone else’s criminal or eviction record matched to you (a “mixed file”)
• Outdated records that should have aged off
• A debt or collection that isn’t yours or was already paid
• Wrong identity or personal information
• The same record counted more than once

How a tenant screening error hurts you

A wrong report can cost you the apartment, force you into a larger deposit, and burn through non-refundable application fees — all while pushing you toward worse or costlier housing and the stress of one rejection after another, often with no idea why.

Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Tenant screening companies must follow reasonable procedures to keep their reports accurate. You can request your report and dispute errors, and the company must reinvestigate — generally within 30 days — then correct or delete anything it can’t verify. When a landlord takes adverse action, they must tell you which company supplied the report. Consumers harmed by violations can recover actual damages, and for willful violations, statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees and costs — so we can pursue these cases at no upfront cost to you.

How to dispute a tenant screening error

1. Ask the landlord which screening company was used and request a copy of the report — you’re entitled to it.
2. Pinpoint the errors and gather documents reflecting that the information is not accurate — i.e., court records showing a dismissal, ID, proof of payment.
3. Dispute in writing with the screening company, and keep copies of everything you send.
4. Track the 30-day investigation window.
5. If it isn’t fixed — or you already lost the apartment — talk to an FCRA attorney.

If your dispute didn’t fix the error, that’s often when the law has been violated — and where we can help.

How The Kim Law Firm helps

From our Philadelphia office, we review your report, identify the FCRA violations, deal with the screening company and the property management company where appropriate, and pursue compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. With extensive experience representing individuals under the FCRA, we know how these screening companies operate and what it takes to force a correction. You don’t pay unless we win.

Tenant screening companies we handle disputes against

Errors can appear on a report from any of these tenant screening companies. If one of them has reported inaccurate information about you — or if yours isn’t listed — contact us.

• Advanced Background Services
• AmRent
• AmerUSA
• AppFolio, Inc.
• Contemporary Information Corp. (“CIC”)
• CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions ⇒
• Experian RentBureau
• InfoLink
• LeasingDesk by RealPage ⇒
• On-Site by RealPage
• First Advantage Resident Solutions
• RealPage, Inc.
• RentGrow, Inc. by Yardi Systems
• SafeRent Solutions ⇒
• Screening Reports, Inc.
• TurboTenant
• TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions, Inc. (“SmartMove”) ⇒

Tenant screening errors often overlap with other consumer-report problems — see our pages on credit report errors, background check companies, check & bank screening, and property & insurance reports.

Frequently asked questions