How Much Does Tenant Screening Actually Cost?
You paid $75 to apply. The landlord's cost to screen you? Often about $30. Here's the real math.
Key takeaway
A full tenant screen (credit + criminal + eviction) wholesales to a landlord for roughly $18–$45 — about $30 typical. Anything you're charged well above that is mostly margin.
What the screening companies charge landlords
- TransUnion SmartMove — ~$25–$40 per full report
- Experian / RentBureau — ~$15–$30
- RentPrep, MyRental — ~$19–$40
- A credit-only pull — ~$10–$30
Many listing platforms (Zillow, Apartments.com, Avail) even run screening free for the landlord and charge you a flat fee directly.
The markup
When a landlord charges every applicant $50–$75 but only screens the one they pick, the fees from rejected applicants are pure profit. See the full markup index by state.
What you can do
Check whether your state caps the fee on the fee checker, ask for an itemized receipt, and reuse one screening report across listings where your state allows it.