✦ Free tool — no account, no signup

Screen a tenant — no account needed

Run a full background, credit, criminal, and eviction screening through TransUnion SmartMove — the same trusted provider Hatchkeep uses inside the app. Pick a package below, send the applicant the link, and TransUnion handles the rest.

The applicant pays and consents directly with TransUnion, so you never touch sensitive credit data and you stay on the right side of the FCRA. Reports come straight back to the applicant to share with you.

SmartCheck Basic
$25 one-time
Applicant pays
Screen with Basic
SmartCheck Premium
$48 one-time
Applicant pays
Screen with Premium

How tenant-pays screening works

1

Pick a package

Choose Basic, Plus, or Premium based on how deep a check you need. Click the button to open TransUnion SmartMove.

2

Invite your applicant

SmartMove emails the applicant a secure request. They consent and pay the fee directly to TransUnion — you never handle their data.

3

Get the report

TransUnion runs the screening and returns the results so you can make an informed, FCRA-compliant leasing decision.

Why this keeps you FCRA-compliant

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), pulling a credit or background report requires a permissible purpose and the applicant's consent. With the tenant-pays model, TransUnion collects consent and payment directly from the applicant — they are the one authorizing the report.

That means you don't store sensitive personal or credit data, you don't need to become a credentialed consumer-reporting end user, and the legally required consent step is handled by TransUnion. You still remain responsible for fair-housing rules and how you use the results in your leasing decision.

Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links to TransUnion SmartMove. Hatchkeep may earn a commission if a screening is purchased through them, at no extra cost to you or your applicant. Screening packages and prices are set by TransUnion and may change. Hatchkeep is not a consumer reporting agency and does not provide screening reports.

Manage the whole lease, not just the screening

Hatchkeep is property management software — applications, rent collection, maintenance, and screening built right in. Free for 50 properties and unlimited units.

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