Tenant Screening

Prospective Tenants and Screening Fees
When prospective residents apply for rental housing, they may be asked by the owner of the property to cover the cost of any credit reports and other available rental history gathered by the owner. Legally, the rental property owner is allowed to collect a fee to cover the costs to screen the applicant, however, there are important considerations that an owner should know. The California Apartment Association has developed forms for owners to ensure they properly complete this transaction. Learn more (pdf).

Tenant Screening Service
Thank you for your interest in the San Francisco Apartment Association’s tenant screening service. Tenant Screening is provided by Credit Bureau Associates (CBA) To set up tenant screening please follow these guidelines.

Initial Set-up

Our Tenant Screening service is for SFAA members only.

1. Call 800-564-6440, select Option 1 and tell CBA you are an SFAA member.

2. Complete the tenant screening contract CBA will provide to you (includes FCRA compliance and Access of Data Requirements).

3. Remember SFAA members receive a discount for the On-site Inspection which is required by Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. ($60.00 for SFAA members.)

Tenant Screening Reports & Prices

Report Name	Description	Cost
Credit Report	Consumer Credit Report that will show: Credit Score, detailed trades list, collection records and public records	$10
Combo 1	Credit Report and UD (Unlawful Detainer/Eviction) Search	$15
Combo 2	Credit Report, UD, and Telecheck (Bounced check alert)	$25
Combo 3	Credit report, UD, expanded verification (call employers and last two landlords- information base off of the application)	$35
SSN Search	Indicates where and when a social security number was issued	$8
Identity Verification	Same as SSN Search but information is gathered from sources other than the credit bureaus i.e. dry cleaners, pizza parlors etc.	$8
Criminal Search (per county)	Searches through county court records for any criminal activity. (May take up to a week to obtain report.)	$25
Employment Report	Credit report for employment purposes	$20
Canadian Credit Report	Consumer Credit Report for Canadian residents. Applicant must provide Canadian address and Social Insurance Number.	$20
Business Credit Report	Credit report on a business including trades, public records and UCC filings	$40
Unlawful Detainer Search	Eviction search	$10

Running Reports

Tenant screening is available from 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM, Monday thru Friday.
phone: 800-564-6440, select Option 1
Fax: 800-479-4946

Online Tenant Screening Available

Please call 800-564-6440 and select Option 1 for more information.

Fax your Rental Applications to us. Please include the following with the Applications:

• Your name and member number
• Type of report requested (See Below)
• Your phone/fax number and/or email.

Please make sure the Rental Application is legible and confirm that the Rental Application has been signed. We are unable to run any reports without a signed application.

We thank you for choosing to support the SFAA through your tenant screening. Using our tenant screening services helps keep our organization funded by generating non-dues income.