Skip to content
AI Property Tools

Tenant screening services: what they cost and who pays

Checked Oct 24, 2026As of October 2026, a credit, criminal and eviction check costs $17 to $49 per applicant on the 12 platforms and services we track that publish a price (median $39.49). DoorLoop scores highest of the property management tools (91/100), followed by Innago and RentRedi.

Tenant screening fees by platform

The price is for one applicant's credit, criminal and eviction check, or the closest package the service sells. Platforms that only publish a range show the low end first. Sorted cheapest first; platforms that don't publish a price are at the bottom.

ServicePrice per applicantWho paysCredit bureauCreditCriminalEvictionIncome
Buildium logoBuildiumInside PM software$17 per screening, or $35 when the applicant pays; enhanced screening $20 on Growth and Premium1Either: $17 per screening, or $35 when the applicant pays2TransUnion3————
Rentec Direct logoRentec DirectInside PM software$18 on Pro and PM, $29.45 on Starter, for the Premium package with credit; lighter packages from $104Not statedTransUnion5✓✓✓—6
Innago logoInnagoInside PM software$30 to $35; income verification adds $107Applicant by default8Usually Experian9✓✓✓✓10
DoorLoop logoDoorLoopInside PM software$35 per applicant11Your choice: the applicant or you; you can also add a markup12TransUnion13✓✓✓✓14
Zillow Rental Manager logoZillow Rental ManagerInside PM software$35 reusable for 30 days15Applicant only; you can't pay it or change it16Experian (credit), CIC (background)17✓✓✓—18
MyRentalStandalone service$38.99 (Premium); Basic $24.99, Signature $43.9919You pay, or the applicant on Premium and Signature; renter pay isn't offered in CA, IL, MA, MT, NY, VT or WI20TransUnion (TU Rental Score)21✓✓✓✓22
RentRedi logoRentRediInside PM software$39.99 or $49.99 with income verification23Applicant24TransUnion25✓✓✓✓26
Hemlane logoHemlaneInside PM software$40 total27ApplicantNot named✓✓✓✓28
TransUnion SmartMoveStandalone service$40 (SmartCheck Plus); SmartCheck Basic $25, SmartCheck Premium $4929Your choice, where state law permits30TransUnion31✓✓✓✓32
TurboTenant logoTurboTenantInside PM software$45 or $55, by the landlord's plan33Applicant; the landlord pays nothing34TransUnion35✓✓✓—35
RentPrepStandalone service$49 (Complete Screening Package); Credit Report Only $29, Full Background Check Only $2936Your choice on the credit report and full package; you pay for a background check on its own37TransUnion (SmartMove credit report)38✓✓✓✓39
Stessa logoStessaInside PM software$49 complete package; credit report or background check alone $29 each; income verification $1040Your choice on the credit report and full package; you pay for a background check on its own41TransUnion SmartMove credit report, through RentPrep38✓✓✓✓42
AppFolio Property Manager logoAppFolioInside PM softwareNot published43Not statedNot named————
Avail logoAvailInside PM softwareNot published; varies by state44Your choice; the tenant pays in most cases45TransUnion46✓✓✓✓47
Baselane logoBaselaneInside PM softwareFrom $24.99; package contents and payer not stated48Not statedNot named————
Entrata logoEntrataInside PM softwareNot published49Not statedNot named————
Landlord Studio logoLandlord StudioInside PM softwareNot published; $0 for the landlord50Applicant51TransUnion52✓✓✓—53
Propertyware logoPropertywareInside PM softwareNot published; transaction fees apply54Not statedNot named————
Rent Manager logoRent ManagerInside PM softwareNot published55Not statedNot named————
TenantCloud logoTenantCloudInside PM softwareNot on the pricing page56Applicant; free to you on every planTransUnion57————
Yardi Breeze logoYardi BreezeInside PM softwareNot published; per-transaction add-on58Not statedNot named————

Checked Oct 24, 2026. A dash means the service doesn't list that check on the pages we read. 9 of the 21 don't publish a price: AppFolio, Avail, Baselane, Entrata, Landlord Studio, Propertyware, Rent Manager, TenantCloud and Yardi Breeze. Download the table as CSV (free to reuse with a link).

Who pays for tenant screening?

On Zillow Rental Manager, RentRedi, Hemlane, TurboTenant, Landlord Studio and TenantCloud, the applicant pays and the landlord pays nothing. Buildium, DoorLoop, MyRental, TransUnion SmartMove, RentPrep, Stessa and Avail let you choose who pays. Renter-paid screening isn't allowed everywhere: MyRental, for one, doesn't offer its renter-pay option in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, Vermont or Wisconsin20, so check your state's rules before passing the fee on.

Is screening through your software cheaper than a standalone service?

The 5 cheapest published prices in the table are inside property management software (Buildium, Rentec Direct, Innago, DoorLoop and Zillow Rental Manager), and Rentec Direct says its subscribers get wholesale screening rates59. The standalone services we track charge $38.99 to $49 for a comparable package, without needing a software subscription. Some platforms also charge a different fee depending on your plan, so compare the price you would actually pay.

Scores out of 100 (each bar split by criterion)
  1. DoorLoop logoDoorLoop91
  2. Innago logoInnago89
  3. RentRedi logoRentRedi83
  4. Stessa logoStessa82
  5. Zillow Rental Manager logoZillow Rental Manager79
  6. Rentec Direct logoRentec Direct78
  7. Hemlane logoHemlane73
  8. TurboTenant logoTurboTenant72
  9. Buildium logoBuildium70
  10. Avail logoAvail55

Price publishedPriceWho paysWhat's checkedCredit bureau named

How we ranked them

Each tool gets up to 100 points, calculated from the published facts on its profile page.

CriterionPointsHow it's scored
Price published2020 if the vendor publishes what a credit, criminal and eviction package costs
Price25Lowest published price for that package: full points at $20 or less, falling to zero at $60 or more
Who pays1515 if you can choose who pays (renter-paid screening isn't allowed everywhere), 10 if only the applicant pays, 0 if not stated
What's checked30Credit report 9, criminal records 7, eviction records 7, income verification 7, as documented
Credit bureau named1010 if the vendor names the bureau or screening company behind the report

The ranking at a glance

#ToolScorePrice publishedPriceWho paysWhat's checkedCredit bureau named
1DoorLoop logoDoorLoop9120/20 yes16/25 $3515/15 your choice30/30 credit, criminal, eviction, income10/10 TransUnion
2Innago logoInnago8920/20 yes19/25 $3010/15 applicant30/30 credit, criminal, eviction, income10/10 Usually Experian
3RentRedi logoRentRedi8320/20 yes13/25 $39.9910/15 applicant30/30 credit, criminal, eviction, income10/10 TransUnion
4Stessa logoStessa8220/20 yes7/25 $4915/15 your choice30/30 credit, criminal, eviction, income10/10 TransUnion SmartMove credit report, through RentPrep
5Zillow Rental Manager logoZillow Rental Manager7920/20 yes16/25 $3510/15 applicant23/30 credit, criminal, eviction10/10 Experian (credit), CIC (background)
6Rentec Direct logoRentec Direct7820/20 yes25/25 $180/15 not stated23/30 credit, criminal, eviction10/10 TransUnion
7Hemlane logoHemlane7320/20 yes13/25 $4010/15 applicant30/30 credit, criminal, eviction, income0/10 not named
8TurboTenant logoTurboTenant7220/20 yes9/25 $4510/15 applicant23/30 credit, criminal, eviction10/10 TransUnion
9Buildium logoBuildium7020/20 yes25/25 $1715/15 your choice0/30 not documented10/10 TransUnion
10Avail logoAvail550/20 not published0/25 no published price15/15 your choice30/30 credit, criminal, eviction, income10/10 TransUnion

The picks

01DoorLoop logo

DoorLoop

Screening: $35 · Your choice: the applicant or you
91/100

Best for: Residential, commercial or HOA managers wanting accounting, screening, maintenance and AI agents in one tool.

What works
  • Unlimited eSignatures and lease templates are included on all plans.
  • TransUnion screening costs $35 per applicant on all plans, and landlords can mark up the fee.
  • Rated 4.83 stars from 6,548 ratings in the App Store.
  • One-on-one virtual onboarding and training come at no extra charge.
Watch for
  • Monthly minimums of $199 to $479 apply, depending on plan and billing term.
  • Incoming ACH costs $1.50 on DoorLoop One; it is free on Connect and Multiply.
  • DoorLoop's pricing page puts the Receptionist agent on Connect and Multiply but also lists agents as add-ons in its comparison table; add-on prices are not published.
  • Card processing fee rate is not published, and trust accounting is not named.
02Innago logo

Innago

Screening: $30 · Applicant by default
89/100

Best for: Independent landlords who want a free platform and are comfortable with tenants paying payment and screening fees.

What works
  • Free for landlords on the only plan, with no monthly, setup or contract fees at any unit count.
  • Tenants pay online rent fees by default ($2 per ACH payment), and the landlord can choose to absorb them.
  • Listings can be syndicated to Realtor.com, Zumper, Apartment List and other sites.
  • The iOS app averages 4.41 from 1,018 App Store ratings.
Watch for
  • Tenants pay card fees of 2.99% and screening fees of $30-35 by default, with income verification extra.
  • No state-specific lease library is offered, so state-specific lease needs may require an attorney.
  • Innago pages name different screening providers, Experian and TransUnion, so the provider is unclear.
  • Schedule E is not named among the accounting features.
03RentRedi logo

RentRedi

Screening: $39.99 · Applicant
83/100

Best for: Landlords of any size who want one flat price for unlimited properties, tenants and teammates.

What works
  • Annual Plan is $12 per month, flat regardless of unit count.
  • One price covers unlimited properties, tenants and teammates.
  • AI Onboarding and AI receipt capture are included on all plans.
  • Apple App Store rating of 4.79 from 15,529 ratings.
Watch for
  • No free plan or free trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee applies after paying.
  • Card and ACH fee amounts, and who pays them, are not published.
  • Monthly Plan is $29.95 per month, against $12 per month on the Annual Plan.
  • Screening is tenant-paid at $39.99, or $49.99 with income verification.
04Stessa logo

Stessa

Screening: $49 · Your choice on the credit report and full package
82/100

Best for: Landlords and real estate investors wanting a free starting plan and flat pricing regardless of property count.

What works
  • Essentials is free and includes unlimited properties, rent collection, screening and maintenance tracking.
  • Pricing is flat per month for all properties, with no per-unit charge.
  • Vacancy ads syndicate to Zillow's family of sites on every plan.
  • Rated 4.8 from 5,267 ratings in the Apple App Store.
Watch for
  • Tenant ACH and card fee amounts and deposit speed are not published.
  • State lease agreements cost $15 each on the free Essentials plan.
  • Advanced reports, budgeting and pro-forma require the Pro plan.
  • Accelerated rent payments are limited to Manage and Pro.
05Zillow Rental Manager logo

Zillow Rental Manager

Screening: $35 · Applicant only
79/100

Best for: Individual landlords with 25 units or less who want free listings, screening and online rent payments.

What works
  • Listings are free to publish and include screening, digital lease signing and online rent payments.
  • Tenant screening costs landlords nothing; the applicant pays $35 and can reuse it for 30 days.
  • One listing is distributed to Zillow, Trulia and HotPads.
  • Rent collection is free for landlords, and ACH payments are free for tenants.
Watch for
  • Online rent payments are only for landlords with 25 units or less.
  • Tenants cannot submit maintenance requests; the tracker is for landlord record-keeping only.
  • No bookkeeping or tax reports are documented beyond Form 1099-K from Stripe.
  • Landlords can't pay the screening fee for an applicant, and Zillow won't adjust it for state fee rules.
06Rentec Direct logo

Rentec Direct

Screening: $18 · Not stated
78/100

Best for: Landlords and small property managers who want low entry pricing, no contract, and trust accounting available on the PM plan.

What works
  • No long-term contract, and a two-week free trial is available.
  • Free setup and onboarding, with no setup fees or training costs.
  • Starter is a flat $25 per month for 10 or fewer units.
  • Trust account management and an Owner Portal are included in the PM edition.
Watch for
  • Pro and PM cannot be downgraded back to Starter.
  • Who pays for tenant screening is not published.
  • Starter charges $2.00 per ACH payment and 3.50% on cards.
  • Support for commercial and HOA properties is not published.
07Hemlane logo

Hemlane

Screening: $40 · Applicant
73/100

Best for: Owners and managers who want free listing and accounting tools, with paid tiers for rent collection and repairs.

What works
  • Starter is free forever with advertising, screening and rental accounting, and no credit card required.
  • Tenant screening costs $40 total and the tenant pays it.
  • Basic and above charge $0 ACH fees for online rent collection.
  • Accounting from Starter up includes bank sync, cash flow report, income statement and lease ledger.
Watch for
  • Essential annual is $20 per unit plus $28, against $2 per unit on Basic.
  • Complete monthly runs $34 plus $65 per unit, which reaches $13,034 at 200 units.
  • Complete may be unavailable in towns under 100,000 population.
  • Starter unit cap, screening provider and who pays the 3% card fee are not published.
08TurboTenant logo

TurboTenant

Screening: $45 · Applicant
72/100

Best for: Self-managing landlords with 1 to 50 units who want free listings and screening paid by applicants.

What works
  • Free plan costs $0 per month with no fees or contracts, and includes listings, screening and rent collection.
  • Landlords pay $0 for screening; the applicant pays $45 or $55 depending on the landlord's plan.
  • Unlimited listings go to 25+ sites on every plan, including Free.
  • AI listing description generator and AI lease audit tool are free, TurboTenant says.
Watch for
  • Essentials and Pro are priced per year; no monthly billing option is shown.
  • ACH rent payments cost $2 on the Free-plan tab, and cards cost 3.49% on both tabs.
  • Autopilot full-service management has no published price; readers must contact sales.
  • Plan placement for maintenance and some accounting features could not be confirmed.
09Buildium logo

Buildium

Screening: $17 · Either: $17 per screening
70/100

Best for: Owners and managers of residential or association portfolios who want AI tools and can accept starting-at pricing.

What works
  • 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and monthly plan pricing.
  • Premium includes all available Lumina AI features and the AI Workforce at no added charge.
  • Covers many property types, including community associations, commercial and student housing.
  • Resident Center app holds a 4.78 App Store rating from 157,537 ratings.
Watch for
  • Plan prices are shown only as starting at, with the unit-count rule not published.
  • Onboarding is mandatory on Growth and Premium, and the fee amount is not published.
  • AI Workforce is a unit-tiered add-on on Essential and Growth, adding to the monthly cost.
  • Essential charges $2.35 per incoming EFT and a $99 setup per business bank account.
10Avail logo

Avail

Screening: price not published · Your choice
55/100

Best for: DIY landlords who want free rent collection, listings, screening and leases, and accept tenant-paid payment fees.

What works
  • Unlimited plan costs $0 per unit with no cap on units.
  • Free listing on 19 top sites, including Zumper, Padmapper and Realtor.com.
  • State-specific, lawyer-reviewed leases with digital signing are included on the free plan.
  • Unlimited Plus waives ACH fees for tenant bank payments.
Watch for
  • On the free plan, tenants pay $2.50 per bank transfer.
  • A 3.5% processing fee is added to card payments on any plan.
  • Per-report screening price is not published and varies by state.
  • Schedule E reports and bank feeds are not confirmed.

Related guides and comparisons

Other buyer's guides

Head-to-head comparisons

Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Every figure links to the page it came from (see Sources). Found something out of date? Tell us. How we pick and rank: methodology.

Sources 59 sources from 21 sites, including buildium.com, rentecdirect.com, innago.comShow

Every fact on this page comes from one of these.

  1. Tenant Screening: $17 per screening Applicant Paid Tenant Screening: $35 per screening paid by applicantbuildium.com/pricing
  2. Applicant Paid Tenant Screening: $35 per screening paid by applicantbuildium.com/pricing
  3. Tenant Screening, powered by TransUnionbuildium.com/pricing
  4. Premium Screening Package Everything in Enhanced, plus TransUnion Credit Report + Credit Score $29.45 $18.00rentecdirect.com/pricing
  5. plus TransUnion Credit Report + Credit Scorerentecdirect.com/pricing
  6. Basic Screening Package Nationwide Criminal, Sex Offender, SSN Validation||Everything in Basic, plus Nationwide Eviction Search||plus TransUnion Credit Report + Credit Scorerentecdirect.com/pricing
  7. Tenant screening costs between $30-35 per tenant and is charged directly to the applicant by default.innago.com/faq
  8. charged directly to the applicant by defaultinnago.com/faq
  9. Reports are generated through a trusted third-party screening provider (usually Experian)innago.com/faq
  10. Reports include credit checks, criminal background checks, and eviction history. We also offer income verification screening, which will add $10 to your tenant's fee.innago.com/faq
  11. The price for a US national criminal background check, eviction history, and credit report is only $35.00 per tenant.doorloop.com/features/tenant-screening
  12. Depending on your preference, prospective tenants can cover the entire cost of their tenant screening, or you can pay the cost of the tenant screening for them.doorloop.com/features/tenant-screening
  13. detailed TransUnion-powered screening reportsdoorloop.com/features/tenant-screening
  14. The price for a US national criminal background check, eviction history, and credit report is only $35.00 per tenant.||Verify applicant income directly from bank or payroll providersdoorloop.com/features/tenant-screening
  15. The application and tenant screening is free for landlords. The renter pays $35 for application and third-party screening services.zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/32873185394323-Set-up-Payment
  16. No, the applicant must pay. There is not currently a way to pay the fee on someone else's behalf.zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/32873185394323-Set-up-Payment
  17. The credit report is provided by Experian and all available data will be returned on the report.||The background check is provided by CIC.zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/32873619235091-Screening-Reports
  18. It includes a nationwide housing court record search, sex offender search, and nationwide criminal search.zillow.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/32873619235091-Screening-Reports
  19. Premium $38.99 per applicantmyrental.com/pricing
  20. Renter Pay Option is unavailable in the following states: CA, IL, MA, MT, NY, VT, WImyrental.com/pricing
  21. Credit Report Renter Pay Option* TU Rental Scoremyrental.com/pricing
  22. Housing Court Data** Additional Address Information Terrorist Alert Multi-State Criminal** Multi-State Sex Offender Credit Report||Income Insightsmyrental.com/pricing
  23. Screening is tenant-paid: $39.99 for credit, criminal, and eviction reports, or $49.99 with Plaid-certified income verification.rentredi.com/pricing
  24. Screening is tenant-paidrentredi.com/pricing
  25. RentRedi partners with TransUnion and Plaid to give you full credit, criminal, and eviction checksrentredi.com/tenant-screening
  26. $39.99 for credit, criminal, and eviction reports, or $49.99 with Plaid-certified income verificationrentredi.com/pricing
  27. Tenant screening is $40 total, paid by the tenant.hemlane.com/pricing
  28. Applicant and tenant screening: national credit, criminal, eviction, and income reportinghemlane.com/pricing
  29. SmartCheck Plus When you want a little more information on your potential tenant. $40mysmartmove.com/pricing
  30. Choose who pays (where permitted) and no hidden fees.mysmartmove.com/pricing
  31. © COPYRIGHT 2026 TRANSUNION LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.mysmartmove.com/pricing
  32. Criminal Background Report** Credit Report Eviction Related Report** Income Insights Reportmysmartmove.com/pricing
  33. With TurboTenant the applicant pays $45 or $55 depending on the landlord's plan, and the landlord pays nothing.turbotenant.com/tenant-screening
  34. the applicant pays $45 or $55 depending on the landlord's plan, and the landlord pays nothingturbotenant.com/tenant-screening
  35. That one fee covers the TransUnion credit report and score, the criminal background check, and the eviction check.turbotenant.com/tenant-screening
  36. Complete Screening Package 49 Order Nowrentprep.com
  37. Landlord and tenant pay options available.||Landlord pay only.rentprep.com
  38. The automated SmartMove package includes: Full Credit Report ResidentScore®rentprep.com
  39. Nationwide Criminal & Sex Offender Search Nationwide Evictions||Income Verification Add-on $10rentprep.com
  40. Complete Screening Package $ 49 Order Now||Credit Report Only $ 29 Order Now||Full Background Check Only $ 29 Order Nowstessa.com/tenant-screening
  41. Landlord and tenant pay options available.||Landlord pay only.stessa.com/tenant-screening
  42. Complete Screening Package $ 49||Criminal & Sex Offender Evictions||Income Verification Add-on $10stessa.com/tenant-screening
  43. AppFolio includes FolioScreen Trusted Renter, an integrated tenant screening capabilityappfolio.com/property-manager/marketing-leasing
  44. The cost of tenant screening reports can be covered by the tenant (most common) or the landlordavail.co/pricing
  45. The cost of tenant screening reports can be covered by the tenant (most common) or the landlord, depending on the landlord's preference.avail.co/pricing
  46. Tenant-initiated TransUnion credit reports and background checksavail.co/pricing
  47. Tenant-initiated TransUnion credit reports and background checks Nationwide criminal history report Nationwide prior eviction reports Automated residence and employment reference checks Income verification and documentationavail.co/pricing
  48. Tenant screening $24.99+baselane.com/pricing
  49. Accurately detect and prevent fraud by seamlessly integrating applicant screening into the application processentrata.com/products/residentverify
  50. criminal, and eviction history — $0 for landlordslandlordstudio.com
  51. Tenants screening Paid by tenant Paid by tenant Paid by tenantlandlordstudio.com/pricing
  52. Run a comprehensive TransUnion Tenant Screening Reportlandlordstudio.com
  53. showing insights into a potential tenant's financial, criminal, and eviction historylandlordstudio.com
  54. Transaction fees apply for Screening and Payments.propertyware.com/pricing
  55. fully integrated Resident Screeningrentmanager.com/marketing-leasing
  56. Full Tenant Screenings Free *paid by applicanttenantcloud.com/pricing
  57. tenant screening report powered by TransUniontenantcloud.com
  58. You may choose to utilize optional add-ons that carry a per-transaction cost, like resident screening.yardibreeze.com/faq
  59. Rentec Direct subscribers get access to wholesale tenant screening ratesrentecdirect.com/pricing