Understanding Criminal Reports
While credit information relies on Social Security numbers as a virtually foolproof identifier to distinguish one person from another, criminal reports are not indexed by Social Security Numbers (SSNs).
Criminal Reports are pulled by name, date of birth, and sometimes past addresses. Because of this, we strongly recommend entering the applicant's middle initial to get the most accurate results.
To ensure the accuracy of reports used in your approval process:
- Be sure to enter complete, accurate information into the search fields
- Verify information that can be taken into consideration in your area
- Enter middle initial or name
System Note: Our upstream vendors automatically apply known compliance verification to the results, helping remove any records that would not comply with your local laws or regulations. This verification is based on the landlord's or Property Manager's zip code and not the tenant's or property's zip code. Before using any information provided in the reports, be sure it complies with the laws and regulations that govern your location.
Common Results
Exact Matches:
When a report is ordered and a criminal record exactly matches the name and dob of the applicant, provided the jurisdiction reported the data correctly and is a reporting county, the information will show on your report indicating the type and disposition of the crime. Most reports contain additional information provided by the county as well.
Similar Matches:
When you run a criminal check, the results may also include close or similar matches, which may sometimes include other individuals' criminal records. This is because the other individual's name, date of birth, or address may match or be similar to your applicant's. Many states require only exact match entries to be returned; however, if your state allows similar match, you may experience them.
False Positives:
If your applicant does not have a criminal record, the report may show other individuals' criminal records if their data matches another party with a criminal record.
Some records will include a photo to help you make the determination, and some (without photos) will require you to review them a bit more to realize whether or not the criminal record belongs to your applicant.
False Negatives:
You may receive a report which indicates no adverse records, even though your applicant may contain some. If a report returns limited or no information, we recommend running a county-level criminal search on your applicant and by researching your applicant with other sources before moving forward with their application. False negatives can happen for numerous reasons, including:
- The reportable limit (typically 7 years as required by a combination of FCRA and state legislated rules) has expired
- The state or jurisdiction that the record exists in is does not allow it to be exported
- The records available are not an exact match to the applicant (for example there could be a name misspelling, invalid or incomplete DOB, or other data mismatch)
- The record is too new and has not reached our data partners
- The record was not transmitted to our data partners
- Some counties do not make their criminal data available. If the crime happened in a "non-reporting" county, a search may return a false negative
We recommend learning more about Nationwide vs. State or county-level reports here: Understanding Nationwide Reports
Note: We do not control the information recorded in each database. We return the information to you that is available in the database, depending on the report you order, and we recommend verifying with your local guidelines for the usage of criminal reports in tenant screening, as they may vary.
Click here to access Denial Letter templates in your Rentec Direct property management software Denial Letter (Adverse Action Notice) for Public Records
Common Notices / Errors
"This applicant cannot be conducted through the automated system at this time."
This message is often due to the subject's common name or other factors that have initiated a manual review by CIC to confirm accuracy. While it can take 1-3 business days to release the report, it is typically completed much faster. Please choose 'Reload From Source' to check for updates in 1-3 business days.
"Report Not Available Due to Regulatory Restrictions."
This message indicates that the jurisdiction for which this report was ordered may not allow this data to be used for tenant screening. This does not indicate whether the subject has a criminal record, but rather that the data is restricted from use in this manner.
Important Note: The Public Records used in this system are made available as provided by the source. Rentec Direct, LLC, including its affiliates or vendors, does not warranty the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in the reports provided.