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33rd Company News

How Quick Is a Tenant Background Check?

Tom Sedlack - Sunday, August 27, 2023

Are you a new landlord? Are you wondering, "How long does a rental background check take"?

Background checks help you find the best tenants for your property, ensuring you receive rent every month. It also helps you learn more about the person living on your property.

This guide is going to tell you everything you need to know. Being a landlord is hard and finding great tenants is a part of the job. We want to make it easier on you, so read on for more information.

Landlord's Procedures

To find the best tenants, you'll need to be thorough with your tenant background checks. This takes some time, but if you rush through it, you may regret it later.

However, the more extensive your search, the longer the process with take. How long it takes is somewhat dependent on how thorough you want to be.

Tenant's Responsiveness

How quickly your tenants respond to you will also affect the process length. You'll need to get information such as proof of income from them. If it takes them days to get back to you, it could delay the process.

Type of Check

The type of background check will also make a difference. Criminal background checks and credit score checks are fairly easy to obtain and won't take long to get.

If you want a more extensive check, including rental history verification, employment checks, and call references, it's going to take more than a few hours to verify.

Volume of Applications

The number of tenants who apply is also relevant. If you only have to run a tenant screening report on a few potential renters, it won't take as long.

If you have 15, 20, or more, it could take you weeks to get through them unless you get some help.

Timeframe for Tenant Background Check

Unfortunately, there isn't a definite answer when it comes to the question "How long does a rental background check take?".

However, you can expect the initial application review to take one to three business days.

Once the initial application is reviewed, the background check will begin. Depending on the factors previously stated, background check processing can take anywhere from two to seven business days.

If there are no issues or discrepancies, then you can make your decision as soon as the background check comes back.

However, if there are issues that you want to clear up, it could take you about two to five days to find the information you need.

You can take as much time as you need to make your decision, this is a rough timeline.

How Long Does a Rental Background Check Take

As you can see, there are a number of different factors that affect the duration of the rental background check process.

There's no set timeline, but understanding the answer to "How long does a rental background check take?" can help you expedite the process. While it takes a long time to review a background check, it'll be worth it in the end when you have a great tenant living in your home.

You don't have to go through this process alone! We're here to support you. Give our team a call to learn more about our tenant screening services.


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