Last updated May 2026
How tenant screening works on SerenityLease and your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Tenant screening (credit, criminal, and eviction history) is performed by an independent, FCRA-credentialed screening provider — not by SerenityLease. We do not assemble, evaluate, or sell consumer reports, and we are not a “consumer reporting agency” under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). We also do not collect or store applicants’ Social Security numbers or full credit data; the applicant enters that securely with the provider.
Before a report is obtained, you authorize the screening provider directly and pay them their fee. Under the FCRA you have the right to: be told if information in a report was used against you; obtain a copy of your report and dispute inaccurate or incomplete information with the screening provider or credit bureau; and, if you’re denied (or charged more, or required to add a co-signer) based in whole or part on a report, receive an “adverse action” notice identifying the agency that supplied it and explaining your right to a free copy and to dispute it.
You must have a permissible purpose and the applicant’s consent before requesting a report, use it only to evaluate the tenancy, and keep it secure. If you take an adverse action based even in part on a report, the FCRA requires you to provide the applicant an adverse-action notice with the required disclosures (the reporting agency’s name and contact information, a statement that the agency didn’t make the decision, and notice of the applicant’s rights to a free copy and to dispute). Apply your screening criteria consistently to comply with fair-housing law.
Because the report comes from the screening provider, disputes about its contents are handled directly with that provider and the relevant credit bureau, who must reinvestigate disputed items under the FCRA.
Learn more about your FCRA rights from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov) and the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov). Questions about screening on SerenityLease? Contact us. This page is informational and not legal advice.