Skip to content
RentGuide.

For Landlords

Best Tenant Background Checks in 2026

A solid background check pulls credit, eviction, and criminal records so you can rent with confidence. Look at report depth, applicant experience, and whether the cost is passed to the applicant.

Advertiser Disclosure: RentGuide is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some or all of the offers that appear on this page are from third party advertisers from which RentGuide receives compensation. For example, we may receive compensation when you click on a link, when an application is submitted, or when an account is opened. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).

Our top picks

TransUnion SmartMove

4.6 out of 5

Best overall

The screening service most landlords have heard of.

#1
  • Credit, criminal, and eviction reports
  • Applicant pays — no risk to landlord
  • Income insights for harder-to-verify renters
  • Reports delivered in minutes

From $25 per applicant

Visit site

RentSpree

4.5 out of 5

Best applicant experience

Bundled application + screening with a clean applicant flow.

#2
  • Application, screening, and ID verification
  • Shareable applications across listings
  • Lease and document workflow add-ons
  • Applicant pays

From $30 per applicant

Visit site

MyRental (CoreLogic)

4.3 out of 5

Industry-grade screening from a credit-bureau parent.

#3
  • Resident scoring model for fast decisions
  • Optional landlord-pay or applicant-pay
  • Deep eviction and criminal databases
  • Used by many large management companies

From $25 per applicant

Visit site

What to look for

We're filling in the full buyer's guide for this category soon. In the meantime, the picks above are a solid starting point.