Portable Tenant Screening options

[Forrest Bassett]

I am curious if anyone can help me with a resource that provides Portable Tenant Screening reports! I am a landlord and property manager... I think these reports could be great! Where does a Tenant get an Approved Portable Tenant Screening Report? 

Does the report come from the actual source that runs the screening, so that it cannot be manipulated before being sent to each landlord? I do not trust an email attachment to come directly from the Tenant with a Screening report, I can see how those will quickly become fraudulent!

Do the Zillow and Apartments.com screening applications count as a PTSR? Is there a resource to send a tenant for screening early on, so that they can use it as a PTSR if they choose not to lease with us or are not approved etc? I would love to get a screening report early on in the process since they can take it with them wherever they go!

Any insight is appreciated!

[Tim Miller]

Maryland has a similar law, we call it Reusable Tenant Screening Reports. Simply means they can process their report once on a service like Zillow and use it for up to 30 days or they can print it out and give it to you.

In Maryland you have to clearly state if you do not accept these reports. It's the first sentence in all of our ads, We do not accept reusable screening reports and it's on our application.

It sounds great but that's all. These reports do not provide all the information that we require. Plus I wouldn't trust them for anything.