Renter FAQs

No. This is one of the things that makes SmartMove such a valuable tenant screening service. Since the rental applicant initiates the release of his or her consumer report the resulting inquiry is considered a "soft inquiry" which does not impact his or her credit score. On the other hand, when a landlord conducts a credit pull on a rental applicant via a traditional method, it can result in a 'hard inquiry' on the applicant's credit report which can, depending on circumstances, sometimes have a slight negatively impact his or her overall score. (This is similar to the process involved when a consumer applies for a loan or a credit card.)

SmartMove uses the email address entered by the landlord to send the rental applicant an email request. If the renter does not receive the email, either the landlord did not enter the email address correctly or the renter’s email service may be blocking the email. Please check Spam folders or Junk Email folders to make sure that the email has not been filtered out. Note that the sender will appear as SiteAdmin. To ensure future emails continue to reach the Inbox, please add the email address [email protected] to an address book or safe sender list. If that doesn’t fix the problem, either request that the landlord correct the email address he or she entered or go directly to www.mysmartmove.com and click on any of the “Create an Account” buttons if an account has not already been created. A renter account will need to be created using the email address to which the landlord sent the request. For renters who are unsure what address the landlord used, we recommend contacting him or her for confirmation. Once the renter creates an account, there will be an option to complete the process.

If the renter receives a request to be screened by a landlord and does not wish to proceed, there will be an option in SmartMove to either Confirm (proceed) or Decline (cancel) the screening process. No parties are charged if the application is cancelled by either party prior to the screening taking place.

At this time, SmartMove only has the ability to process an application for renters who have a valid U.S. Social Security number. Please contact the landlord to discuss how he or she wishes to proceed with the application process.

All renters who create SmartMove accounts are asked to verify their identity online to ensure the process is secure. This helps prevent fraudulent access to consumer data.

When a renter sets up a SmartMove account, he or she is required to answer a series of personal questions to authenticate identity before TransUnion can release the credit report and criminal record data to a landlord. If any difficulty transpires with this process, contact SmartMove for further assistance. We suggest renters obtaining a copy of their TransUnion credit report to verify all information before attempting any further authentication. A renter may obtain a copy at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling TransUnion at 800-916-8800.

With SmartMove, however, the renter provides his or her information directly to TransUnion in a secure, online environment. It stays between the renter and TransUnion—a trusted credit reporting company that already maintains safe files for nearly 500 million people worldwide.

Only those landlords to whom the renter grants permission will have access to the renter’s credit and criminal record information.

SmartMove provides landlords with a leasing recommendation based on factors related to a potential tenant’s ability to fulfill lease obligations. In addition, SmartMove offers landlords the option to view a renter’s credit and criminal background data. However, none of these services affect the renter’s credit score and they do not include personal identifying information such as their Social Security number or account numbers.

After the renter provides approval for screening, the landlord only has access to their credit and criminal record information for 60 days.

No. SmartMove is only for tenant credit and background searches. This means that only a landlord can have access to reports, and only with the renter’s permission.

Yes, please contact customer service at 1-866-775-0961 to verify your identity and for further information on how to obtain a copy of your criminal and/or eviction report.

For a copy of your credit report, click here.

Income Insights uses historical credit data to estimate income. Any significant and very recent income changes may not be immediately reflected.

You may dispute items within your credit report that are used as inputs by the model. You can follow the standard credit reporting dispute process if you feel items within your credit report are incorrect.

Income Insights relies on a statistical model that analyzes your credit data. Using credit report information about your spending and payment behavior, the model is able to estimate your annual income.

Yes, Income Insights uses behavior found in credit data to estimate your total income. Therefore, non-work sources of income such as retirement distributions, pensions, social security, and alimony should be reflected in the results.

We would be happy to provide you with a copy of the Income Insights report returned to the landlord. Please contact customer support for a copy of your reports at 1-866-775-0961.

Income Insights cannot be used as a reason for declining an applicant. It can only be used to determine whether or not the landlord requires additional proof of income.