TransUnion SmartMove - Tenant Screening Made Simple

Table of Contents

• What is TransUnion SmartMove, anyway?
• How does TransUnion SmartMove make things easier for property owners?
• What kinds of reports can you get with TransUnion SmartMove?
• Why choose TransUnion SmartMove for your rental property?
• Are there special features with TransUnion SmartMove?
• How does TransUnion SmartMove compare to other options?
• What about saving money with TransUnion SmartMove?
• What else should you know about TransUnion SmartMove?

Finding the right person to live in your rental property can feel like a big job, but there are tools out there that really help make it simpler. One such tool, TransUnion SmartMove, comes from a name many people know and trust when it comes to financial information. This service is all about helping property owners get a clearer picture of who they are considering for their rental spaces. It offers a way to look at a potential renter's background, giving you information that can help you feel more sure about your choices.

When you own a rental home or apartment, knowing a little about the people who want to live there is, you know, pretty important. It’s not just about collecting rent; it’s about protecting your property and making sure you have good, reliable people staying there. This is where a service like TransUnion SmartMove steps in. It’s built to give you the information you need, so you can pick someone who will take care of your place and pay their rent on time. It’s really about peace of mind for you, the property owner, so you can focus on other things.

TransUnion SmartMove is a service that helps landlords look into a renter’s past, giving them access to things like credit history, criminal records, and even past evictions. It’s set up to be easy to use, especially for those who manage just a few properties, so it’s not overly complicated. You can get started without paying anything up front, and in many cases, the reports you need come back to you very quickly, often within the same day. It’s pretty convenient, actually, for anyone trying to make a good decision about who moves in next.

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What is TransUnion SmartMove, anyway?

TransUnion SmartMove is, basically, a service that helps landlords get to know their potential renters a little better. It’s a tenant screening service, which means it helps you check out people before they sign a lease. This service gives you reports that cover a few key areas: credit information, criminal background, eviction history, and even details about their income. All these reports come straight from TransUnion, which is one of the big companies that keeps track of credit information for millions of people. So, you are getting data from a reliable source, which is pretty important when you are making a decision about who lives in your property.

This service is set up so that you, as a property owner, can use it online. It lets you see a renter’s credit information, whether they have a criminal record, and if they have ever been evicted from a previous place. It’s built with smaller-scale property owners in mind, meaning it’s not just for big apartment companies. It also takes care to keep personal information private, which is a good thing for everyone involved. You can sign up for the service without any initial cost, and you even get to decide if you or the applicant pays for the reports. That flexibility, you know, can be really helpful.

TransUnion SmartMove is a tool that gives landlords a way to see into the rental and money history of people who want to rent their places. It’s like getting a clearer picture of their past actions related to renting and managing money. This helps property owners make choices they can feel good about. You can learn about how much it costs to use, what features it offers, and if there are any limits to what it can do. It’s all about helping you pick the best person for your rental, which is, honestly, a big part of being a property owner.

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How does TransUnion SmartMove make things easier for property owners?

Making things easier for property owners is a big part of what TransUnion SmartMove tries to do. When you are looking for a new renter, there is a lot to think about, and getting good information can really help. This service helps property owners make leasing decisions with more certainty. It gives you a variety of screening packages, so you can pick the one that fits what you need. This means you are not just guessing about who you are letting into your property; you are making a choice based on facts, which is, you know, a lot better.

The process itself is designed to be straightforward. You don't have to deal with minimum numbers of screenings or anything like that. You just use it when you need it. You can pick who pays for the reports, which is a nice bit of freedom. And the reports themselves are delivered very quickly, often in just a few minutes. This speed means you don't have to wait around, which is, frankly, very helpful when you are trying to fill a vacancy. It makes the whole process of checking potential renters much simpler and faster for property owners using TransUnion SmartMove.

TransUnion SmartMove is also committed to helping you make smarter business choices. They provide answers to many common questions about the service, so you are not left wondering how things work. By using this service, you are getting access to the same kind of credit information and decision-making tools that bigger property management companies use. The difference is that with SmartMove, it’s all online, so you don’t have the added cost of setting up and running your own systems. It’s about getting good information in a way that’s easy and affordable for independent landlords, which is, after all, what many people are looking for.

What kinds of reports can you get with TransUnion SmartMove?

When you use TransUnion SmartMove, you get access to several important reports that give you a fuller picture of a potential renter. One of the main things you get is a credit report. This report comes directly from TransUnion, a company that deals with millions of credit files. It helps you see how a person manages their money and pays their bills. The credit report can show things like their payment history, any debts they have, and how long they have had credit. It helps you get a sense of their financial habits, which is, quite honestly, a big part of being a reliable renter.

Another report you get is a criminal background report. This helps you look into a person's criminal history. It’s important to know that the information in these reports can vary a bit. Sometimes, local rules limit what records can be shared, and TransUnion also has its own standards for the quality of the information it provides. So, while it gives you a look into criminal records, it’s good to be aware of these potential differences. This report helps you check for any past issues that might be a concern for your property or other residents. It’s a pretty important piece of information, to be sure.

You also get an eviction report with TransUnion SmartMove. This report tells you if a potential renter has been evicted from a previous rental property. Knowing someone’s eviction history can be very helpful because it gives you an idea of their past behavior as a renter. If someone has been evicted before, it might suggest they have had problems with paying rent or following lease terms. This report is a key part of making a well-informed decision about who you let into your property, so it’s, you know, pretty valuable.

Beyond these, there is also an income report. This helps you figure out if an applicant earns enough money to comfortably pay the rent. TransUnion SmartMove has something called "Income Insights" which can help you determine, in just a few minutes, if you need to ask for more proof of income from an applicant. This means you can quickly see which applicants seem to have enough income and which ones you might need to check more closely. It saves you time and helps you verify that your future renter can, actually, afford the place.

Why choose TransUnion SmartMove for your rental property?

Choosing TransUnion SmartMove for your rental property offers several good reasons. For one, it’s built especially for independent landlords, which means it understands the needs of someone managing properties on a smaller scale. You don't have to be a big company to use it effectively. It gives you comprehensive reports on applicants’ credit, eviction, criminal, and income history, and you can get these reports in just a few minutes. That speed and detail are, you know, pretty appealing when you are trying to make a quick decision.

Another reason to consider TransUnion SmartMove is the trust factor. It comes from TransUnion, which is one of the three main credit reporting companies in the country. This means the information you are getting is from a source that is used to handling lots of sensitive data. They also offer a special score called ResidentScore®. This score is said to predict the risk of a renter being evicted even better than regular credit scores. Based on a 2016 study by TransUnion, it predicts eviction risk 15% better, which is, you know, a significant improvement for property owners.

The service also offers flexibility. You can sign up for free, and you can choose whether you or the applicant pays for the reports. This is a nice feature because it gives you control over the costs. Plus, there are no minimums, so you don’t have to commit to screening a certain number of tenants. You just use it when you need it, which is, honestly, very convenient for landlords who might only have one or two properties. It’s all about making the process as easy and as helpful as possible for you.

Are there special features with TransUnion SmartMove?

TransUnion SmartMove does come with some special features that make it stand out. One of these is the ability to get most reports on the same day you request them. This speed is really helpful when you have a property that needs to be filled quickly. You don’t want to lose a good applicant because the screening process takes too long. So, getting results in minutes, as they say, is a pretty big plus for property owners. It helps you move forward with your rental process without unnecessary delays.

Another feature is the ResidentScore®, which we talked about a little already. This is a special score that TransUnion created to specifically help with rental decisions. It’s designed to be more accurate at predicting whether someone might be evicted compared to just looking at their general credit score. This specialized tool can give you a deeper insight into a potential renter’s likelihood of being a good, stable tenant. It’s a way to get a more specific prediction about rental risk, which is, you know, very useful for landlords.

The Income Insights feature is another notable aspect of TransUnion SmartMove. This tool helps you quickly figure out if an applicant's stated income matches what you might expect. It can tell you within minutes if you should ask for more proof of their earnings. This means you can save time by not having to dig deeper into every applicant's income. You can focus your efforts on those who truly need more verification, which is, honestly, a smart way to manage your time when you are screening many people.

How does TransUnion SmartMove compare to other options?

When you look at TransUnion SmartMove, it’s helpful to see how it stacks up against other services. For instance, some platforms might focus mainly on rent collection, while SmartMove is all about tenant screening. It’s built to give landlords detailed credit, criminal, and eviction reports, so its main purpose is to help you check backgrounds. You can learn about its key features and benefits, and also any drawbacks, and then see how it compares to something like PayRent, which is more of a rent collection platform. This helps you pick the right tool for what you need to do.

It also gets compared to other tenant screening services, like RentPrep. Each service might have different pricing structures, features, and limitations. TransUnion SmartMove, for example, offers a tiered pricing strategy. This means there are different levels of service, each with a different set of screening options, to fit various needs and budgets. This setup is pretty clear, as it doesn't have hidden costs or require subscriptions. This transparency in pricing can be a big plus when you are trying to manage your expenses, which is, you know, pretty important for property owners.

The fact that TransUnion SmartMove taps into the same powerful screening abilities as TransUnion TruVision Resident Screening, which is used by bigger management firms, is also a key point. This means independent landlords get access to the same quality credit data and decision tools. The main difference is that SmartMove is online and doesn’t have the costs associated with hosting your own system. So, in some respects, you are getting a professional-grade tool without the professional-grade price tag, which is, actually, a very good deal for many people.

What about saving money with TransUnion SmartMove?

Saving money is something everyone likes, and TransUnion SmartMove sometimes offers ways to do that. For example, there have been promotions where users could save a certain amount, like $139 on average, with the service. These kinds of offers pop up from time to time, so it's always a good idea to check for them. You might find coupons or discounts available that can lower the cost of your screening reports. This can make an already cost-effective service even more budget-friendly, which is, you know, pretty appealing.

The fact that you can choose who pays for the reports is also a way to manage costs. If you decide the applicant pays, then you don't have any out-of-pocket expenses for the screening. This can be a significant saving for landlords, especially if you screen several applicants for one property. This flexibility means you can tailor the cost structure to what works best for your situation. It’s a pretty smart way to handle expenses, honestly, and gives you more control over your money.

The tiered pricing structure of TransUnion SmartMove also helps with budgeting. Since there are different levels of service, you can pick a package that only includes the reports you truly need. You don't have to pay for features or reports that you won't use. This helps ensure that you are getting good value for what you spend. The clear pricing, without hidden fees or subscriptions, also helps you plan your expenses better, which is, after all, a good thing for any property owner.

What else should you know about TransUnion SmartMove?

It’s important to remember that TransUnion SmartMove is one of the tenant screening products offered by TransUnion. As you may know, TransUnion is one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States, along with Experian and Equifax. This connection means the service is backed by a large, well-established company that has a lot of experience with financial data. This can give you a bit more confidence in the information you receive, which is, you know, very helpful when making important decisions.

The criminal report part of the service has some details to keep in mind. The coverage of criminal records can vary. This is partly because different places have rules about what records can be shared. Also, TransUnion itself has standards for the quality of the data it includes. So, while it provides valuable information, it's good to be aware that the specifics of what appears can depend on these factors. For instance, criminal records are available in states like Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, and Maryland, among others. This shows that coverage can be specific to certain areas.

TransUnion SmartMove is built to help landlords find the best renters for their properties. It gives accurate credit, criminal, and eviction reports, which are all key pieces of information. It allows landlords to get insight into the rental and financial history of potential tenants, helping them make choices they can feel good about. The process is simple, and reports are delivered quickly, often in minutes. It’s all about making tenant screening easy and reliable for property owners, so they can feel more secure in their rental choices.

This article has gone over what TransUnion SmartMove is, how it makes things simpler for property owners, and the different kinds of reports you can get, including credit, criminal, eviction, and income details. We also looked at why someone might choose this service, highlighting its features like ResidentScore® and Income Insights, and how it compares to other options in the market. Finally, we touched on ways to save money with the service and other important details about its connection to TransUnion and the specifics of its criminal record reporting.