How Does Experian Landlord Credit Check Work?

When a landlord orders an Experian landlord check, Experian performs a soft inquiry on your credit file and instantly produces a tenant report that the landlord reviews.

• The landlord sees your Experian credit score, payment history, and any rental‑related entries.
• The soft inquiry does not affect your credit score and does not appear on your public credit report.
• You receive a free copy of the tenant report within 30 days, as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• If the report contains errors, you can dispute them (see the 'how to dispute errors' section).
• The landlord uses the report to decide whether to approve your application, set lease terms, or require a higher security deposit.

For more detail on what the report includes, visit Experian tenant screening overview.

The Experian landlord check that most property managers run is a soft inquiry; it appears on your credit file only as a 'tenant inquiry' and does not affect your score. This is the standard approach described in the process overview.

A hard inquiry happens only when a landlord requests a full consumer credit report through Experian's traditional credit product, which requires your explicit consent and is typically used for high‑risk cases; that pull shows up as a hard inquiry and can reduce your score slightly. Most landlords stick with the soft‑inquiry tenant‑screening version, as explained in the 'how landlords order an Experian tenant report step by step' section. Experian tenant‑screening details

Yes, an Experian landlord check never lowers your credit score because it is a soft inquiry, and only hard inquiries trigger a score change. A soft inquiry lets landlords see your credit history without notifying the credit bureaus, so the FICO or VantageScore algorithm ignores it (see soft credit inquiry definition). The check pulls your existing data - payment history, balances, public records - but adds no new activity to your file, so your score stays exactly where it was before the landlord runs the report.

Experian landlord check pulls a specific set of records that together give landlords a snapshot of your financial reliability, all via a soft inquiry.

• Full consumer credit report - trade lines, balances, payment history, collections and bankruptcies.
• Rental‑payment data from Experian RentBureau - on‑time rent, late payments and any evictions.
• Public records - civil judgments, tax liens and bankruptcy filings.
• Optional employment or income verification snippet if the landlord requests it.
• Supplemental details such as recent hard inquiries appear for context but do not affect your score because the overall check stays soft.

Landlords obtain an Experian tenant report by logging into Experian Connect and submitting a soft‑inquiry request for the applicant's credit file.

1. Create or access an Experian Connect account - Landlords sign up at Experian Connect portal or log in with existing credentials.
2. Add the rental property - In the dashboard, click 'Add Property,' enter the address, and choose 'Tenant Screening.'
3. Enter applicant details - Type the prospective tenant's full name, date of birth, and Social Security number; the system validates the data instantly.
4. Obtain applicant consent - The portal generates an electronic consent form; the applicant signs digitally, confirming a soft inquiry.
5. Submit the report request - Press 'Order Report.' Experian runs a soft inquiry, compiles credit history, payment behavior, and public records, and delivers the report within minutes to the landlord's dashboard.

The entire process stays within the Experian landlord check workflow and does not affect the tenant's credit score, as explained in the earlier 'soft vs. hard inquiry' section.

An Experian landlord check usually returns results within minutes, often under five, and most landlords see the score the same day; in rare cases the report can take up to 24 hours if identity verification or a manual review is needed. Because the inquiry is a soft one, the process runs quickly and does not affect your credit score.

Delays typically stem from high system traffic or when the applicant's information triggers additional checks; once those steps clear, the soft inquiry appears instantly in the landlord's portal. For official timing details see Experian's tenant screening response time guide.

An Experian landlord check is a soft inquiry, so it never appears on your credit report and does not affect your score; effectively it stays zero days on your credit file.

The landlord may keep the tenant report in their own records, typically for 12  -  24 months depending on the property management company's policy, after which it is usually purged. For details on how the inquiry type is classified, see the earlier section on Experian tenant‑screening overview.

As an applicant you can view the tenant‑screening score, a credit‑history summary, public‑record items, eviction history, and the landlord's soft inquiry, and you may request a free copy of the full report if you receive a written adverse‑action notice.

• Score and summary - Experian shows a 1‑100 tenant‑screening score and a brief credit‑history overview.
• Public records - Bankruptcies, tax liens and civil judgments that affect tenancy.
• Eviction history - Any filed evictions or judgments related to housing.
• Soft inquiry - The landlord's soft check appears to confirm the report source.
• Identity data - Name, current address, date of birth and Social Security number used for the match.

If the landlord denies your application or otherwise takes an adverse action, you have 60 days from the landlord's written notice to request a free electronic or printed copy of this tenant report. The request must be made directly to Experian and can be submitted via their online portal or by phone.

After you obtain the report you can also dispute any inaccurate items; the next section explains how to do that quickly.

You can correct a mistaken entry on an Experian landlord check in under a week by using Experian's official dispute channel.

1. Pull the exact report - Log into your Experian account or request a free copy of the tenant report via Experian tenant‑screening portal. Identify the line items that are wrong (e.g., misspelled name, inaccurate address, outdated balance).
2. Gather proof - Collect a recent credit‑card statement, bank record, or landlord letter that clearly shows the correct information. PDFs work best; keep originals handy in case the dispute team asks for them.
3. Submit the dispute - Use Experian's online dispute form, attach the supporting PDFs, and write a brief note stating what's incorrect and why. You can also call 1‑866‑284‑1358 or mail a letter to Experian Consumer Disputes, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013.
4. Track the investigation - Experian must investigate within 30 days. Check the status dashboard in your account; they'll email you the outcome and a revised copy if the error is removed.
5. Notify the landlord or screening service - Once Experian confirms the correction, forward the updated report (or the 'dispute resolved' notice) to the landlord or the tenant‑screening company so they can replace the faulty file in their system.

These steps resolve most landlord‑check errors quickly and keep your rental record accurate.

• When you apply for a car loan, the lender may pull TransUnion Interactive data, see your recent address change, and speed up approval.
• If you rent an apartment, the property manager can use TransUnion Interactive to view your opted‑in utility‑payment history, helping you qualify despite a thin credit file.
• While you shop for a new credit card, the issuer may query TransUnion Interactive for a soft view of your latest employment information, influencing the credit limit they offer.
• When you sign up for a mobile phone plan, the carrier might consult TransUnion Interactive to verify a recently resolved court judgment, preventing a denial based on outdated records.
• If you join a peer‑to‑peer lending platform, the platform can assess your recent mortgage payment patterns via TransUnion Interactive, potentially lowering the interest rate you receive.

Experian landlord checks are always soft inquiries, so they won't dent your score, but the report may show limited data if you're self‑employed, just starting credit, or living abroad.

If you run your own business, attach recent tax returns, a profit‑and‑loss statement, and a few months of business‑bank activity; Experian pulls the standard credit file, and those documents fill the gaps landlords often look for.

For thin‑file applicants or international renters, Experible may supplement the core file with utility, rental‑payment, or overseas bureau information; you can also add a co‑signer or provide a passport and foreign credit report. For a full view of what the landlord will see, request your own tenant report through Experian's tenant screening portal.