Overview
Screening applicants can be stressful. Will this potential tenant cause trouble? Will they pay their rent? Does a credit score accurately predict this?
It does in part, but TransUnion has found a more accurate predictive tool called a Resident Score.
While not the same as a credit score, it is based on a credit report with differently weighted factors TransUnion has found to be 15% more effective at predicting evictions than a traditional credit score.
How does the Resident Score get used in DoorLoop?
When you request and review the TransUnion SmartMove reports for a prospect in their rental application, you will see a Criminal Report, a Credit Report, and an Eviction Report.
The Credit Report shows TransUnion's ResidentScore along with the credit and other factors contributing to that score.
You can use this information along with the criminal and eviction reports to make your rental decision and notify the prospect.
What if the Prospect asks for or disputes their Reports?
If you are rejecting a prospect because of TransUnion SmartMove reports, you are required by federal law to give the prospect an “adverse action” notice. To learn more about this, refer to the Federal Trade Commission’s explanation here.
You can download the reports to send to the prospect using the instructions in this article here.
The prospect has a right to dispute their reports with TransUnion. They might dispute the fact that the score reported by TransUnion is not the same as the credit score they see when they pull their own credit report.
You can explain to them that this makes sense, because the ResidentScore reported by TransUnion is NOT the same as a credit score, but a special score based on a credit report with differently weighted factors TransUnion has found to be 15% more effective at predicting evictions than a traditional credit score.