What Is on a Rental History Report?
Cindy Ellis - March 25, 2024
A rental history report might not be the first thing on your mind when it comes to renting an apartment, especially if you’re worried about your credit history.
While your credit report is one of the most important things that landlords check, it’s not the only thing that they can consider. For example, they can check your criminal records and run a general background check on you. However, one of the most common things that landlords check is a rental history report.
In short, a rental history report is something that landlords can access that provides details about someone’s previous rental agreement, landlord, leases, or evictions. This can help landlords determine if someone is a high risk to rent, so it’s a good idea to check your rental history report if you’re not getting approved.
While this isn’t the easiest report to find, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about what a rental history report is and how you can find it.
What Is a Rental History Report?
Rental history reports are a collection of information about a tenant’s history of renting. Ultimately, it’s a way for landlords to learn about a tenant’s history all in one place without having to reach out to references or other landlords.
What’s more, it’s a great way for landlords to determine the potential risk of a tenant. For example, if someone has a history of damaging property or being evicted, it can be viewed in a rental history report.
Most landlords will run these reports along with a background check to get a comprehensive look at a tenant’s past. While not every landlord will run one of these checks, if you’re signing for a lease, there’s a good chance that they will.
What Information Appears on a Rental History Report?
Rental history reports reveal a lot of information. It might reveal how much rent was paid or what a lease agreement between a landlord and tenant looked like. Depending on the report and where the information is sourced, it’s also possible for there to be some variations on the report.
On a rental history report, expect to find the following information:
- Previous addresses that the tenant lived at or rented
- Contact information for previous landlords, property managers, and even people who made repairs on buildings
- How long someone has rented for and how many times they’ve rented
- The dates for rental agreements
- How much rent was paid
- Eviction records
- References and recommendations from other landlords
- Late payments
- Disputes with landlords
Ultimately, these reports provide a comprehensive picture of what a tenant’s rental history looked like and it can help landlords determine if a tenant is safe to rent with.
Do Landlords Run a Background Check?
Landlords want more information than just a rental history report, which is why they run background checks. They will check your credit history, sex offender status, and much more before approving you or allowing you to sign a lease agreement.
Even if you haven’t rented before, landlords can still check your records to see if you’re a good fit for their property. While the rental report helps, it’s not the only information a landlord looks for, so even if you have a good rental report, a criminal record can prevent you from renting.
For this reason, it’s important to understand all types of information that landlords will consider when you’re applying for a rental relationship. We cover some of the most common background checks that landlords run, including credit reports, general background checks, and criminal record searches.
General Background Check
First and foremost, we’ll begin with a general background check. A general background check is a type of background check that involves identity verification. It’s the process that allows landlords to ensure that you are who you claim to be.
For identity verification, they may request your Social Security number and contact your references. During this part of the process, they may also pull records about previous rental agreements and verify your identity. This is usually the first part of the process, and it may or may not be the entire process, depending on the landlord.
Credit History
Credit history is one of the most important things that landlords check for on a background check. They will check your credit score to see what the number is and also look for any bankruptcies, evictions, and derogatory marks.
Typically, credit history is something that can be repaired after seven years or even faster if you work with a reputable agency. However, you don’t need the best possible credit score to be approved.
Aim to have a score that’s more than 650 for the best results but some landlords may let you rent with less if you can prove your income, debt-to-income ratio, and expenses. You can also show them your rental history report to further establish that you can afford the rent.
Civil Court History
Your civil court records can also be a public record. This means that landlords can look into your civil court history to determine if you would make a good tenant.
Landlords can look into civil disputes involving you and another landlord, issues with domestic abuse and other domestic cases, as well as financial disputes handled in court. Ultimately, they can look into most civil crimes that aren’t sealed. This also includes some ongoing cases as well.
Criminal Records
When landlords run a background check on a tenant, there’s a good chance that it will include a criminal records search. When someone looks into your criminal records they’re looking for charges that could disqualify you from renting.
Some charges that may disqualify you include violent offenses, sex offenses, arson, and vandalism. Ultimately, if it’s something that influences your ability to be a good tenant, a landlord can decide to not allow you to rent with them.
This doesn’t apply to all charges, so it’s a good idea to check what charges prevent you from renting before you apply. Furthermore, most criminal records will come off your background check after seven years in states like New York, so we always recommend running a criminal records search to check your records.
Sex Offender Registry
When running a background check on a potential tenant, landlords will typically check the sex offender registry. There are national sex offender registries and state registries that will contain information about sex offenders.
Landlords can deny people who have a history of sexual offenses. This is especially true if the rental property is close to a school or a different type of location that they’re banned from being close to.
Check Your Rental History Report With Information.com
It’s not hard to check your rental history report because everything that appears on the report is a public record. This means that with the right tools, you can view your rental history.
It’s a good idea to check your rental history because you want to be prepared during the application process. The good news is that Information.com offers several great tools to help you view your rental history.
The best way to view your rental history report is to use one of our premium people search tools. In this case, you’ll have the best luck with a reverse address lookup tool.
These tools are efficient because they’re connected to millions of public records databases across the country. So, we can provide you with information from all 50 states (and some territories) all in one simple report that’s easy to access. All you need to get started is your current address, name, and state to begin.
That said, our reverse address lookup tool can also help you run a background check on your landlord. While it’s usually a tenant that has to worry about their history, it’s a good idea to learn more about who you’re renting from.
You can use their name, address, or phone number to find their criminal records, other properties they own, and other types of information that can aid you in making a decision.
Check Your Rental History Report Today
Rental history reports are important tools that can help a landlord verify someone’s rental history. When used alongside criminal records, credit scores, and general background checks, it helps a landlord get the full picture of someone’s rental history. Plus, it shines some light on the type of person they are.
Whether you want to check your rental history report before applying to rent or if you’re a landlord who wants to verify a tenant, Information.com is always here to help. Our tools are affordable, fast, and easier to use than most public records databases in the country.
While your first apartment checklist may not have included a background check tool, we recommend adding it. Then, you can avoid prematurely purchasing furnishings for an apartment you don’t end up getting approved for.
