Tenant screening made easy, convenient and reliable for landlords

We put you in control while ensuring transparency for renters.

Save time and secure tenants with Zillow: your all-in-one tenant screening solution

Elevate your tenant screening process with an all-in-one application through Zillow®, designed specifically for individual landlords and small property managers. Our partnership brings you a comprehensive solution that puts you in control and promotes transparency for renters. With access to residence history, background checks, Experian-powered credit checks and more, you can make informed decisions, efficiently and confidently. Start screening potential tenants with Zillow today.

Comprehensive tenant application

Access a resident’s contact information, residence history, pet information, income documentation, and more in one seamless application through Zillow.

Credit and background reports

Each Zillow application is complete with a trusted Experian® tenant credit check, as well as a comprehensive background check from CIC.

View a sample report here.

Fast and affordable

Invite a renter to apply and have reports delivered within minutes. The application is free for landlords and property managers. Renters pay $35 for the application and screening reports, which can be re-used across multiple listings on Zillow.

Start screening tenants with Zillow
Man and woman smiling in living room with house keys

Why choose our tenant screening services?

Quick and reliable results | We understand the importance of timely decisions based on verified information. Our services help provide fast tenant screening helping you to make informed choices swiftly.

Consumer-permissioned screening | We prioritize your tenants’ privacy. Our services are consumer-permissioned, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations while safeguarding sensitive data.  

A shared commitment

Experian and Zillow are dedicated to addressing the specific needs of landlords and property management companies while prioritizing the interests of renters. With this collaboration, renters gain the unprecedented ability to access and review a comprehensive tenant screening report before it’s shared with a potential landlord or property of interest. Experian and Zillow both firmly believe in empowering consumers by granting them access to their screening data; the capacity to review and rectify it when necessary; and, ultimately, the power to share it for decision-making purposes. This relationship ensures a mutually beneficial outcome for all stakeholders involved in the rental transaction.

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Frequently asked questions

A comprehensive tenant screening report from Zillow includes an Experian credit report, plus Zillow’s residence history, background check, and income and employment verification check.

All applicants fill out an online rental application through Zillow with information about their current household makeup, prior residences, contact information and income. Zillow will then pull their tenant credit report history powered by Experian and run a tenant background check using CIC. Once everything is complete, Zillow will compile everything into a rental application summary for you to review within your Zillow Rental Manager account.

First, create an account to start screening tenants with Zillow Rental Manager. You'll need to include a property contact and the address you're renting. Once you've entered this, you can send a link to the application to potential tenants, you'll just need their email address.

When a renter completes an application, Zillow will send you an email notification. All completed applications, which includes a detailed tenant screening report, will be accessible from the "View Applications" link from this page. You only need to send one application per group of renters. The primary applicant can add any co-applicants.

Zillow’s tenant background check typically includes a national criminal search, sex offender search and housing court records history. You can view a sample of Zillow’s CIC tenant background check here.

This means that individuals have the ability to grant explicit permission for Experian to provide their credit and personal information with third parties, typically for specific purposes. These reports are generated with the consumer’s consent and are often used in situations such as credit inquiries, rental applications and identity verification. The key aspect of consumer-permissioned reports is that the individual has control over who can access their credit and personal information and when.

This means that individuals have the ability to grant explicit permission for CIC to provide their background check and personal information with third parties, typically for specific purposes. These reports are generated with the consumer’s consent and are often used in situations such as credit inquiries, rental applications, and identity verification. The key aspect of consumer-permissioned reports is that the individual has control over who can access their background data and personal information and when.

Tenant screening reports are free for individual landlords and small property managers. Renters pay a $35 tenant screening and application fee, which allows them to apply to your listing and an unlimited number of participating rentals for 30 days.

Running a tenant credit check is a practice that helps landlords make informed decisions when assessing financial responsibility, reduces financial risk and helps protect their investments while ensuring a fair and transparent tenant selection process.

Most tenant credit and background checks will be returned within minutes of the renter sending the application. On rare occasions, tenant background check requests require a manual review that can take up to 1-2 business days. Zillow will let you know if a manual review is required.

Experian Connect is a service that will allow you to request and view the credit information of other people, who give you permission, for a specific purpose. Experian’s service can support a number of industries — perhaps you are a landlord evaluating a prospective tenant or a doctor who needs to setup a payment schedule. When you view a credit report and score through Experian Connect, you can be sure you are seeing accurate information directly from Experian.