RentRedi partners with TransUnion to provide tenant screening reports that include credit reports, criminal background checks, eviction history, and tenant income and asset verification.
A key part of this process is TransUnion's ResidentScore®— a specialized credit score model designed specifically for tenant screening.
Unlike traditional credit scores, which assess an individual's overall creditworthiness, the ResidentScore focuses on predicting a tenant's likelihood of fulfilling rental obligations, such as paying rent on time and avoiding eviction.
📈ResidentScore Ranges
ResidentScore assigns a score from 350-850, with 850 being the best score possible. Where your applicant's score falls on the scale can help you better assess their risk.
Score Range | Category | What It Means |
N/A | No Score | Not enough data to generate a score |
350–523 | Decline | High risk of missed rent or eviction |
524–537 | Conditional | Moderate to high risk |
538–559 | Low Accept | Moderate risk |
560–850 | Accept | Low risk, favorable tenant |
For example, a score above 600 typically signals a lower risk of default, while a score under 520 indicates a higher risk.
🔄 ResidentScore vs. Traditional Credit Score
Both a typical credit score and SmartMove® ResidentScore can help minimize risks when screening an applicant. However, ResidentScore is explicitly engineered for rental screening and is designed to provide a better estimation of risk to your future rental property income than a typical credit score*.
Below are the benefits of ResidentScore over a standard credit score:
Identifies 15% more evictions and 19% more skips than other typical credit scores*
Scores more applicants who have thin files (can score all applicants with at least one account on their credit report)*
Built specifically to identify the likelihood of eviction
Type | Typically used for |
Credit Score | Credit cards, auto loans, mortgages |
ResidentScore | Rental risk and eviction prediction |
With ResidentScore, you aren’t stuck basing your decisions on the same algorithms that a bank would use. Instead, you’re using a score that specifically analyzes predictors of a bad rental outcome.
➡️ According to TransUnion, ResidentScore is 15% more accurate at predicting evictions than traditional scores, especially in lower ranges. (read more)
🔍 Factors Influencing ResidentScore
ResidentScore is derived from various credit-related factors, including:
Payment History: Records of timely and late payments across all credit accounts.
Credit Utilization: The ratio of current credit card balances to credit limits.
Credit History: The length and diversity of credit accounts.
Credit Availability: The total amount of credit available to the individual.
Credit Inquiries: The number of recent requests for credit reports.
These factors are tailored to predict rental-specific behaviors, making ResidentScore a more accurate tool for landlords compared to traditional credit scores.
✅ Summary
TransUnion’s ResidentScore is a tenant-specific scoring model that enables landlords to make more informed and reliable rental decisions. By using RentRedi, landlords get access to:
Full Credit Reports: Including ResidentScore to assess rental risk.
Criminal Background Checks: Over 370 million criminal records from state and national databases.
Eviction History Reports: One of the largest eviction databases with 27 million eviction records.
Income & Asset Verification: Plaid-certified proof of tenant income