RentPrep.com is a helpful service for landlords and property managers that helps evaluate potential tenants. The service provides powerful tenant screening tools, including tenant credit reports, background checks, eviction reports, and more. 

Plus, RentPrep provides tons of other useful resources for landlords, like form templates, tips and tricks, and a community of over 13,500 landlords to connect with. Keep reading for our full RentPrep review. 

RentPrep overview

RentPrep is an online service that helps landlords evaluate potential tenants and avoid future headaches. Its primary function is to help screen tenants, by running background checks and evaluating the trustworthiness of each applicant. Through RentPrep, you can run the following checks on applicants:

• Full credit report with credit score
• Address history and social security number (SSN) verification
• Eviction report (nationwide)
• Evidence of judgments and liens 
• Evidence of bankruptcies 
• Criminal reports and sex offender search (nationwide database)
• Income verification

Basically, RentPrep helps gather and analyze information about potential tenants, to see if they would be a good fit. RentPrep pulls data from reputable, nationwide databases, ensuring the most accurate, most complete information possible. And with everything that’s included in a RentPrep screening, there’s far more included than a simple background check.

RentPrep is partnered with associations including the National Apartment Association (NAA), National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA), and the TransUnion Credit bureau. Needless to say, RentPrep is a reputable and trustworthy partner for the rental property business. 

RentPrep is also simple to use and offers transparent pricing. It’s free to sign up for an account, and then each tenant screening is charged separately. One can either pay for reports or set up a link to have an applicant pay online. 

The RentPrep review below will go into more detail on this service, covering full features, pricing, and more. 

Check out our roundup of the Best Tenant Screening Services

RentPrep features

RentPrep provides just about all the information a landlord needs to make an informed decision on rental applicants. The specific reports will depend on the tenant screening package chosen, but here’s the full list of what RentPrep can offer:

Background checks

RentPrep helps run detailed background checks on applicants. This can include rental background and past rental history, criminal history and sex offender history, eviction history, bankruptcy history, and a history of any judgments or liens. 

Credit checks

RentPrep runs credit checks on applicants, and completes SSN verification. Depending on the package, one receives a full credit report (TransUnion) with a customized ResidentScore or a simplified Credit Decision Report which provides a simple pass/fail based on selection criteria.

Income verification

RentPrep can also help verify the applicant’s stated income. This is an add-on feature, costing an extra $10 regardless of which package you choose. This verification requires applicant cooperation, and cannot be done automatically. 

FCRA-certified screeners

RentPrep employs professional, FCRA-certified screening agents to help interpret and validate rental background checks. These professionals are here to help when problems arise, or to help explain the results of reported data. While many companies use a fully automated system, RentPrep still has real people verifying and validating data on applicants. 

Enterprise solutions

For property management companies and individual landlords with 50+ doors under management, RentPrep offers customized Enterprise Solutions. These versatile packages can be customized, while supplying more features at a lower overall cost, compared to individual reports. 

Applicant pay feature

In the full TransUnion Full Credit Report package, landlords can opt to have the tenant pay for the report as part of their rental application fee, through a simple online payment portal. This feature is not available on the basic RentPrep Background Check package. 

Intuitive online interface

RentPrep has a simple yet powerful online interface that helps order reports, screen clients, and store data. It’s designed to provide all the information, laid out in an easy-to-understand way. 

Resources and forms

In addition to their screening services, RentPrep also provides a lot of useful resources for landlords and property managers. Browse a large library of landlord and real estate related forms, which is available for download and print at any time. Search an extensive FAQ section and blog to get answers to common questions. There is also an exclusive podcast for landlords. 

Community

Another unique feature of RentPrep is its online RentPrep community. Join via the RentPrep website, as well as on social media, for discussions, questions, and like-minded landlords and managers nationwide. There are over 13,500 landlords in the RentPrep community today.

RentPrep pricing

RentPrep offers transparent and affordable pricing, with packages from just $21.00. There are no monthly fees or hidden costs associated with the platform; simply sign up for a free account and purchase individual reports as-needed. 

Here is a breakdown of the two different RentPrep screening packages:

RentPrep Background Check – $21

• Includes SSN verification
• Nationwide eviction check
• Bankruptcy check
• Judgment and liens check

Optional add-ons:

• Nationwide criminal background check & sex offender search ($6)
• Credit Decision Report ($11) (shows credit score range, and provides a pass/fail decision-based on your preselected credit standards)
• Income Verification ($10), requires Applicant’s involvement + email communication

TransUnion Full Credit Report – $40.00

• Full credit report (TransUnion) including Fico score, credit card balances, payment history, etc. 
• A ResidentScore to help you evaluate the applicant
• A rental background check
• SSN verification & address history
• Nationwide criminal records & sex offender search
• Nationwide eviction & bankruptcy search

Optional add-ons:

• Judgment and liens report ($7)
• Income verification ($10)

For most landlords, the TransUnion Full Credit Report offers the best value, and the most complete information to help you make an informed decision. It’s also the most popular package that RentPrep offers. 

RentPrep enterprise solutions for property managers

For companies or individuals managing 50+ doors, RentPrep offers Enterprise Solutions. These customizable packages offer access to credit reports and more, at discounted rates. 

Pricing for enterprise plans is not publically listed – contact RentPrep for a custom quote. With that said, these plans will definitely save money over purchasing individual reports, and will also give access to a dedicated account manager, help from Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) certified screeners, and more. 

With Enterprise plans, landlords have direct access to credit reports. Because of this, there is more security involved, and certain qualifications and FCRA regulations must be met. A landlord needs to be managing at least 50+ doors and must complete an on-site inspection, to ensure that the office is qualified to handle sensitive data. Generally, a physical office in a business setting (home offices do not typically qualify) is necessary.

RentPrep customer support

RentPrep offers great customer support from professional tenant screening experts. They can help explain the screening process, and how it can help evaluate prospective tenants. They can also help with any technical issues that may arise. They can make you feel comfortable and confident, whether you’re a first-time landlord or an experienced property manager. 

Unlike most competing tenant screening companies, RentPrep actually has trained FCRA-certified screening agents. These agents help validate data, and can also help explain the screening report process to clients. 

RentPrep review: Our verdict

RentPrep is an excellent tool for landlords. It makes it easy (and affordable) to gather background data on your renter applicants, helping to save you a lot of hassle in the long run. 

The biggest advantages of RentPrep, that help set it apart from competing tenant screening services, are:

• Very competitive pricing, particularly on the basic tenant Background Check
• Customizable reports to avoid paying for features you don’t need
• No monthly or ongoing fees
• Enterprise solutions for larger companies
• Reports validated by FCRA-certified screening agents
• Access to a huge library of learning resources
• Access to a community of 10,000+ landlords

Overall, RentPrep is among the best tenant screening services available today. It’s helpful before, during, and after the time you receive your prospective tenant application. And features like community networking provide valuable benefits that are difficult to find elsewhere. In our opinion, RentPrep is a must-have for landlords large and small, real estate agents, and property management companies.