Published 2026-09-28 · 11

Tenant Screening Showdown 2026: SmartMove vs Avail vs RentPrep vs TurboTenant

Choosing the right tenant screening service is one of the highest-leverage decisions a landlord makes. A bad tenant costs thousands in lost rent and turnover; a thorough screening process filters them out before they ever sign. But with four well-known services — SmartMove, Avail, RentPrep, and TurboTenant — each claiming to be the landlord's best friend, which one actually earns the title?

This guide puts all four head-to-head: what reports they run, how much they cost (and who pays), how fast results arrive, and which landlord profile each one fits best.

SmartMove by TransUnion

SmartMove is TransUnion's landlord-focused screening product, and the TransUnion branding is its biggest selling point. When your applicant sees the name of one of the three major credit bureaus on the screening request, response rates go up — applicants trust it, and that matters.

Reports included: SmartMove pulls a full TransUnion credit report (with resident credit score), a national criminal background check, and an eviction history report. The credit report detail is a cut above what you get from reseller-grade services: you see tradelines, balances, delinquencies, collections, and public records, not just a score.

Who pays: The landlord or the applicant, at your option. Applicant-paid screening typically runs around $40–45 per applicant depending on the package, which is standard for bureau-grade reports. Landlord-paid options exist if you want to absorb the cost yourself.

Turnaround: Results are usually available within minutes once the applicant completes their portion. The pacing item is the applicant, not the system — send the invite and nudge them.

Best for: Independent landlords with a handful of units who want the most authoritative credit data and the credibility of the TransUnion name. If you screen infrequently, the per-report model beats a subscription you rarely use.

Want a deeper two-way look at these two before deciding? Read our SmartMove vs Avail comparison.

Avail (by Realtor.com)

Avail is a full property-management platform for DIY landlords — listings syndication, applications, leases, and rent collection all live in one dashboard. Its tenant screening is bundled into that workflow rather than sold as a standalone product.

Reports included: Avail's screening runs credit, criminal background, and eviction history checks, drawn from TransUnion data. The results feed directly into the applicant's profile in your Avail dashboard, so you can move from application to lease without re-entering anything.

Who pays: Screening can be set as applicant-paid, so the cost lands on the renter rather than your operating budget. Because it's bundled into Avail's application flow, there's no separate screening product to buy.

Turnaround: Once the applicant submits, reports typically return quickly — usually the same day, often within minutes of completion.

Best for: Landlords who want screening as one piece of an end-to-end DIY management stack. If you already list, collect rent, and manage leases in Avail, keeping screening inside the same system removes friction. It is less attractive if you only need screening and nothing else.

Note: we are currently in the process of applying to Avail's affiliate program; any screening mentions here are informational.

RentPrep

RentPrep takes a different approach: it markets itself on human-verified screening rather than fully automated reports. Every RentPrep report is reviewed by an FCRA-certified screener before delivery, and landlords can talk to a live screener about results — a genuinely unusual feature in this space.

Reports included: RentPrep offers tiered packages, from a basic background check up to full reports that include credit, criminal, eviction history, and a proprietary risk assessment. The headline feature is the human review: a certified screener checks the report for accuracy and completeness, and flags things an automated pull might miss or misattribute.

Who pays: RentPrep is primarily landlord-paid, with package pricing that typically runs from around $20 for basic checks up to around $40 for the full package. That's competitive with — and often below — applicant-paid pricing elsewhere, making it attractive if you prefer to absorb screening costs.

Turnaround: Because of the human review step, RentPrep is not the fastest option. Reports typically arrive within a few hours to one business day. If you need instant results, this is the trade-off you accept for the extra verification.

Best for: Landlords who screen a steady volume of applicants and want confidence that reports are accurate — especially anyone who's been burned by a false positive or a thin automated report. The ability to call and discuss a report with a screener is a real differentiator.

Our detailed pairing: SmartMove vs RentPrep.

TurboTenant

TurboTenant is another all-in-one platform for independent landlords — marketing, applications, screening, leases, and rent collection. Its screening product competes directly with Avail's bundled offering, and the company also runs a landlord referral program.

Reports included: TurboTenant's screening covers credit, criminal background, and eviction history, with results delivered inside the TurboTenant dashboard alongside the rental application. Like Avail, the value is the integrated workflow: application in, screening out, lease next.

Who pays: Screening is typically applicant-paid, keeping the cost off your books. TurboTenant's core platform has a free tier, so a landlord can run the full application-to-screening flow without a monthly subscription.

Turnaround: Reports generally return the same day the applicant completes the screening, often within minutes.

Best for: Cost-conscious independent landlords who want a free-to-start platform with screening built in. If you're choosing between the two bundled platforms, the decision usually comes down to which dashboard and lease workflow you prefer — both screen competently.

Cost reality check: who actually pays?

Screening costs fall into two buckets: applicant-paid and landlord-paid, and the split changes the economics of your process.

• Applicant-paid (SmartMove's standard flow, Avail, TurboTenant): the renter covers the report fee when they apply. This keeps your costs at zero but can suppress application volume if you're in a competitive market where other landlords absorb the fee.
• Landlord-paid (RentPrep's model): you absorb roughly $20–40 per applicant. On a single vacancy that attracts ten applicants, that's $200–400 — real money, but it removes friction for renters and lets you screen everyone equally, which strengthens your fair-housing posture.

Either way, budget screening as a cost of the vacancy, not a per-unit annual expense: most landlords screen a handful of applicants per turnover, so even landlord-paid screening rarely exceeds a few hundred dollars a year for a small portfolio.

Head-to-head comparison

Which one should you choose?

Pick SmartMove if you want the most authoritative credit report and the trust that comes with the TransUnion name. It's the best pure screening product of the four — no platform lock-in, no subscription, just a strong report when you need one. Occasional screeners should start here.

Pick Avail if you're building your whole landlord operation inside one platform. The screening is solid and the workflow integration is the real product. Don't pick it if you only want screening — the bundled model only pays off when you use the rest of the suite.

Pick RentPrep if report accuracy is your top priority and you're willing to wait a few hours for it. Landlords screening multiple applicants per month get the most value from the human review and the screener hotline. It's also the most budget-friendly option when you pay for screening yourself.

Pick TurboTenant if you want a free-to-start platform with competent bundled screening. It's the natural alternative to Avail — compare the two dashboards, pick the workflow you like, and you won't go wrong on screening quality either way.

For a broader view of the market beyond these four, see our roundup of the best tenant screening services for landlords in 2026, and if cost is the deciding factor, our tenant screening cost guide breaks down who pays what across every major service. For a services-level overview, read tenant screening services compared.

How to read a screening report (and what landlords miss)

Whichever service you pick, the report is only as good as your reading of it. Three things separate landlords who screen well from landlords who just collect PDFs:

1. Look at patterns, not single data points. One late payment two years ago means little; a string of recent collections means a lot. Credit scores summarize, but tradeline history tells the story.

2. Verify income independently. No screening report confirms employment or income reliably enough on its own. Ask for pay stubs or bank statements and compare them against the stated rent — the 3x rent rule is a starting point, not a law.

3. Apply criteria consistently. Write your screening criteria down before you run the first report, and apply them the same way to every applicant. This isn't just good practice — under fair housing law, inconsistent standards are how discrimination claims start.

FCRA compliance: the part landlords skip at their peril

All four services sell consumer reports, which means your screening process falls under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The practical obligations: get written authorization from the applicant before running a report (every service here collects this during the applicant flow, but keep your own paper trail), and if you reject an applicant based on report contents, you must send an adverse action notice explaining why and naming the reporting agency. The bundled platforms (Avail, TurboTenant) and standalone services (SmartMove, RentPrep) all provide adverse action templates — use them. RentPrep's FCRA-certified screeners are an extra layer of comfort here, since their reports are reviewed by people trained on exactly these rules.

The bottom line

There's no single winner — there's a best fit. SmartMove wins on report authority, RentPrep wins on accuracy and support, and Avail and TurboTenant win on integrated workflow. Match the service to how you operate: screen occasionally with SmartMove, screen in volume with RentPrep, or run your whole rental inside Avail or TurboTenant and let screening come along for the ride.

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