Best Tenant Screening Services for Small Landlords (2026): Prices and Who Pays

For most small landlords, the simplest choice is the screening built into the platform you already list or collect rent on. Zillow, Apartments.com, TurboTenant, Avail and Innago all let the applicant pay. If you want a standalone report, e-Renter Basic ($21.95) and SmartMove Basic ($25) are the cheapest we found, and RentPrep and RentSpree sell fuller packages from $29 to $49.99. Whatever you pick, check your state's cap on applicant fees first.

Best for: landlords with 1–50 units choosing a screening service, or deciding whether a platform's built-in screening is enough. It's not legal advice.

Prices come from each vendor's own pages, checked October 28, 2026. We haven't tested these services hands-on.

Standalone screening services

Sources: SmartMove pricing, RentPrep, e-Renter, RentSpree pricing and SingleKey's US pricing page.

Unverified: SmartMove's Premium package price didn't appear on its pricing page when we checked.

Screening built into listing sites and landlord platforms

If you already list or collect rent on a platform, its screening may be the simplest route.

Snappt is different. It checks applicants' income documents for fraud, uses quote-based pricing and is aimed at larger operators, so most 1–50 unit landlords won't need it.

Which to choose

Lowest per-report price: e-Renter or SmartMove Basic

e-Renter Basic is $21.95 and SmartMove Basic is $25. Check what each package includes before you choose on price. e-Renter's credit report starts at the $31.95 Premium tier, for example.

Applicant pays and you list on Zillow: Zillow Rental Manager

Zillow's screening costs landlords nothing, and one report covers an applicant's applications for 30 days. That makes it easier on applicants who apply to several Zillow listings. https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/

You want income verification as an add-on: RentPrep or Innago

RentPrep adds income verification for $10 or income and employment for $15. Innago adds an income check for $10.

You want screening, leases and rent in one place: TurboTenant, Avail or Innago

These platforms bundle screening with the rest of the rental workflow. TurboTenant's applicant fee drops from $55 to $45 on paid plans. Compare them in best free landlord software. Visit TurboTenant

State limits on application and screening fees

Some states cap what you can charge an applicant. That matters when a platform sets the applicant fee for you. Two examples:

• New York (Real Property Law §238-a): any fee for background and credit checks is capped at the actual cost or $20, whichever is less. You must waive it if the applicant provides a background and credit check from the past 30 days. You can't charge any other fee for processing an application. A $40–$55 platform fee is above that cap.
• California (Civil Code §1950.6): the screening fee is limited to your actual out-of-pocket costs plus reasonable time. The statute sets a $30 base that's adjusted annually for inflation (CPI) from 1998. You can't charge a fee when no unit is available, and you must give the applicant an itemized receipt. The 2026 adjusted statewide maximum hasn't been confirmed on an official state page; a figure of about $65.86 has been reported secondhand (unverified). The City of Berkeley's Rent Board lists $68.96 as the 2026 maximum, citing §1950.6. The same page notes you must give applicants a copy of any credit report within 7 days, and either refund the fee to applicants you don't select or review applications in the order received.

Other states and cities have their own rules. Check your state's statute or your local housing agency before you set or accept a fee.

What's in a screening report

Package names differ, but the building blocks are similar. SmartMove's tiers show how they stack:

• Basic ($25): a ResidentScore and a criminal background report.
• Plus ($40): adds a credit report and an eviction-related report.
• Premium (price not shown): adds an income insights report and an identity check.

RentPrep sells credit-only and background-only reports at $29 each, or both in its $49 complete package. e-Renter adds credit at its Premium tier. Zillow's and Apartments.com's applicant-paid reports include credit, criminal and eviction checks.

SmartMove's page notes that criminal and eviction reports are limited by federal, state and local laws, so some records may not be returned in some places.

Questions to ask before you pick a service

1. Who pays, and is that allowed where you are? Many services let you choose. Some states cap or restrict applicant fees.
2. What's in the report? Credit, criminal, eviction and income checks are often sold separately.
3. Can applicants reuse the report? Zillow and Apartments.com reports can be reused for 30 days, which is friendlier to applicants.
4. Does it connect to your platform? Screening that lives inside your listing or rent tool saves re-entering data.

How we checked

On October 28, 2026, we read the pricing pages of SmartMove, RentPrep, e-Renter, RentSpree and SingleKey, plus Zillow's tenant-screening page and Apartments.com's property-owner help center. For TurboTenant, Avail and Innago, we used their pricing and help pages. We also read the New York and California statutes and the Berkeley Rent Board page linked above. Where two pages from the same vendor disagree, we say so. We haven't ordered reports from these services, and no vendor paid for placement. Fees and legal limits change, so confirm before you screen.

FAQ

What's the cheapest tenant screening service?

Of the standalone services we checked, e-Renter Basic is the cheapest at $21.95, then SmartMove Basic at $25. Neither basic tier includes a credit report.

Can I make the applicant pay for screening?

Usually, yes. Most services let you choose who pays, and some platforms always charge the applicant. Some states cap or restrict that fee, though.

Is Zillow's tenant screening free?

It's free for landlords. Applicants pay $40, which covers their applications to participating Zillow rentals for 30 days.

Which screening services check income?

RentPrep sells income verification as a $10 add-on, Innago adds a $10 income check, and SmartMove's Premium tier includes an income insights report.

How much can I charge for a rental application in New York?

The actual cost of the background and credit check, or $20, whichever is less, under Real Property Law §238-a. You must waive it if the applicant gives you a check from the past 30 days.

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