How Long Do Background Checks Take For Apartments?

The majority of background checks for apartments take between a few days and a few weeks. Learn more about the process of tenant screening below!

What Are Background Checks For Apartments?

A background check, otherwise known as tenant screening, is a check done to verify a prospective tenant’s identity, rental history, employment, and creditworthiness. This is an essential step in any apartment rental process, as it helps landlords identify and select qualified tenants to rent their properties. Tenants who pass background checks will be viewed as responsible individuals who will pay their rent on time.

The following information is needed for a thorough tenant screening:

• Full legal name.
• Contact information.
• Date of birth.
• Social security number.
• Employment history.
• Rental history.
• Criminal history.
• Credit report.

How Long Do Apartment Background Checks Take?

The amount of time it ultimately takes to screen a tenant will vary based on several factors, including the complexity of the screening process, availability of information, and the tenant’s responsiveness. As mentioned above, most background checks can be completed within just a few days or a few weeks.

Factors Affecting How Long Background Checks Take

There are a number of factors that can impact this timeline. Let’s take a look at three of the most common factors below.

Number Of Sources Checked

The screening process will take longer when more sources are checked. For instance, a background check that only investigates a tenant’s credit history, will only take a few hours. A check that pulls criminal, employment, and rental histories can take several weeks.

Information Availability

The background check will be much quicker when the tenant has a clean record compared to someone with a criminal record and lengthy rental history.

Tenant Responsiveness

If the tenant is quick to respond to requests for information, the process will be much quicker overall.

What Can Disqualify You From Renting An Apartment?

If you are wondering why your rental application was ultimately denied, it could be traced back to one of these ten factors listed below.

Insufficient Income

Typically, the number one reason why you may be disqualified from renting an apartment is insufficient income. Tenants that are new to renting or receiving their income in cash will need to show proof of income. Some property managers may be willing to accept cash, but having a cosigner on standby is recommended.

Criminal Record

Apartment rental applications conduct background checks, and depending on any criminal charges on your record, you may be disqualified from renting. Violent criminal history, such as murder felonies or burglaries, often lead to disqualification. Individuals with arrest and conviction records do have housing rights, but a screening process consisting of sponsors, references, and personal letters will likely take place ahead of time.

Past Evictions

Prior evictions on your record are a primary cause for rental application denial. Landlords can discover past evictions by either contacting your previous landlord(s) or running an eviction report.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy as a result of a lost job is usually accepted along with supporting bank statements and/or reference letters. However, you may be denied if you cannot show credit score improvements since declaring bankruptcy.

No References

A lack of references or even no references at all can be a red flag for prospective landlords.

Bad Credit

The majority of apartment applications require a minimum 650 credit score. You are likely to either be denied or asked for a cosigner if you have a poor credit history.

Long Gaps In Rental History

Rental history gaps can make some landlords suspicious as tenants can omit information like prior evictions. Long rental gaps where you lived with friends/family or owned a home are perfectly acceptable.

Miscellaneous

Errors filling out the application, pet policies, and apartment overcrowding can also disqualify certain individuals from renting.