How to Check Your Rental History Report
Access your rental history report, understand its details, and learn how to correct any errors to ensure smooth housing applications.
A rental history report provides a comprehensive overview of an individual’s past tenancy, detailing their behavior and reliability as a renter. Landlords often use this record to evaluate potential tenants and assess suitability for a property. Reviewing your rental history helps manage personal records and ensures a smoother process when applying for new housing.
What Your Rental History Contains
A rental history report includes information compiled from various sources. This encompasses previous addresses and lease durations. The report also details your rent payment history, noting whether payments were on-time, late, or missed, and any outstanding balances.
Eviction records are usually included. The report may also contain notes on lease violations, such as property damage or noise complaints. Some reports might incorporate feedback or recommendations from previous landlords regarding your conduct.
Sources for Your Rental History
Information for your rental history can originate from several entities. Credit reports, while primarily focused on financial credit, may include rental payment data if landlords report to credit bureaus. Specialized tenant screening companies compile detailed reports for landlords. These companies, such as CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions, Experian RentBureau, and TransUnion SmartMove, gather tenancy-related data.
These agencies collect information from public and private sources, including court records for evictions and landlord-reported payment histories. Another source for your rental history is direct communication with past landlords. Previous landlords can provide references and verify details about your tenancy, including adherence to lease terms and property maintenance.
Steps to Obtain Your Rental History
Accessing your rental history involves requesting reports from agencies and contacting past landlords. You can obtain a free credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion once every 12 months through AnnualCreditReport.com. While credit reports do not capture all rental data, they may contain some payment information reported by landlords. You can choose to request all three reports simultaneously or stagger them throughout the year to monitor your credit more frequently.
To access reports from specialized tenant screening agencies, contact them directly. If a landlord denied your housing application based on a tenant screening report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires them to provide you with an “adverse action notice” that includes the name and contact information of the company that provided the report. This notice also informs you of your right to request a free copy of that report within 60 days. Common tenant screening companies include CoreLogic, Experian RentBureau, TransUnion SmartMove, and RentGrow. When requesting a report, you will likely need to provide identification to verify your identity.
You can also directly request a rental verification or reference from your previous landlords. This often involves contacting them to ask if they would be willing to provide a letter or respond to inquiries from prospective landlords. While there is no legal requirement for past landlords to provide this, many are willing to offer a reference. This direct outreach can supplement the information gathered from formal reporting agencies.
Addressing Inaccuracies
If you discover errors in your rental history report, you have the right to dispute this information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The first step is to obtain a copy of the report and carefully review it for any incorrect or outdated entries. Common errors can include mixed files, where information from someone else appears on your report, or outdated negative information that should have been removed.
Once an inaccuracy is identified, you should send a written dispute letter to the consumer reporting agency that issued the report. Gather supporting documentation, such as court records or proof of rent payments, to substantiate your claim. The reporting agency is required by law to investigate the dispute within 30 days, or up to 45 days in certain circumstances. If the investigation confirms an error, the agency must correct or delete the information. If the issue is not resolved, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or consult a legal professional.