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ACUTRAQ offers volume discounts to Members that request 51 or more credit checks or criminal background reports per month.
You should ensure that the credit report is sufficiently shredded. You should keep the signed Authorization for five years in the event ACUTRAQ is audited or the Applicant makes an allegation that you did not have consent to obtain a copy of his/her credit history. Privacy laws dictate that you must safeguard this confidential information. After the five year period you may shred the Authorization/Rental Application as the statute of limitations will have run out.
Yes, you must have the written consent of the applicant to obtain a copy of his/her credit file. Most Rental Application Forms have the consent clause just above the signature on the last page. You can obtain a Rental Application from the ACUTRAQ website under online forms. ACUTRAQ takes seriously its responsibility to protect Consumer privacy and will report all matters for Police investigation where credit information has been misused or obtained under false pretenses. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides for a severe penalty where a Consumer’s information has been obtained under false pretenses. Section 619 of FCRA refers –
Section 619. Obtaining information under false pretenses [15 U.S.C. § 1681q]
Any person who knowingly and willfully obtains information on a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than two years, or both.
If you cannot show that you had authorization or consent to obtain a Consumer’s credit history, you will be in breach of the Agreement that you signed with ACUTRAQ Residents Verification Service Inc. This will result in immediate cancellation of the ACUTRAQ Service and/or other repercussions as noted above where the matter has escalated.
These are generally the reasons why there is no credit history for an Individual:
- Prospective Residents is very young and has not yet established a credit history.
- Prospective Residents is on a Disability or Income Assistance Allowance and does not have a credit file.
- Prospective Residents has been incarcerated for a long period of time.
- Prospective Residents has not been able to establish a credit history because of poor/sporadic employment. This is often the case when no credit history is available.
- Prospective Residents is a new arrival to the country and has not yet established a credit history.
- Prospective Residents has provided you with false information to ensure that you do not find his/her credit history.
Many bad/delinquent residents misspell their name, provide a wrong date of birth and will leave out the last one or two addresses that they have been at because they know that the reference will not be a good one. Be aware that this could happen to you and that this is something you should guard against. Look at two pieces of I.D. and request a pay stub or income tax return from the previous year.
Having no credit file is a red flag in most instances, and your residents screening process should include further due diligence. Visit www.criminalfraud.com for TIPS/ADVICE on how to prevent fraud as a landlord. Also learn how to use the Credit Report as part of the interview process to verify the identity of your Prospective Residents.
Yes. Identity theft is on the rise in North America and is a huge concern with many industries – including the Residential Rental Industry.One of the benefits of obtaining a credit report is that you can compare the information on the rental application to that on the credit report. Often bad or delinquent residents will give false or erroneous information on the application; for example, leave a letter out of the last name, give a wrong date of birth, leave the most current addresses out because they owe rental fees with the previous landlord, etc.If you encounter a case of identity theft the credit report will assist you in verifying that. Here is how: So, Mr/Ms Prospective Residents, can you tell me with which Financial Institution you have your credit cards? Can you tell me what the balance is on that account? Have you ever had a car loan? This information is listed under trades/accounts on the credit report. It will tell you who the credit grantor is, when the account was opened, the balance, past due payments and the rating of that account. If Mr/Ms Prospective Residents cannot give you that feedback, then you are likely dealing with an impersonator (Identity Thief). For further information on identity theft and landlord fraud visit www.criminalfraud.com.
Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm (Central Standard Time)
On-line service is available 24 hours per day 7 days per week for pulling reports.
ACUTRAQ has a rental application form that you can use during the application process; a Rental Application Form and a Notice to Residents that advises the Prospective Residents of the consequences should she/he leave you stuck with unpaid rental fees or damaged rental property. There you will find every form that your rental business requires; it is your rental business so make sure that you have all the tools to do the job.
You will be billed on the first of each month for the reports you have run during the prior month. Payment is due by the 15th.
ACUTRAQ is bound by Privacy Laws. It does not share its database with 3rd parties and it does not participate in spam e-mail programs. The only e-mail you are likely to receive from ACUTRAQ is the Welcome Letter. Important notices may be sent out periodically that advise of website changes, etc. Only important e-mails will be sent to you.
Generally, the credit reports and criminal backgrounds are immediate when done on-line. They go directly to a mailbox on our website and are accessible immediately.
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Vantage 4.0 is a credit score derived from all 3 credit Bureaus: Transunion, Experian, and Equifax. While you may just see tradelines from one bureau, the Vantage 4.0 score will give you a true credit score reflecting all 3 bureaus. This method can provide a score for 30 million more people than previous models. This model scores from 300 to 850. More good news- collections that have been reported as paid will no longer affect your credit score. The tradeline will still be visible for 7 years but the score will reflect better when you pay off and close collections.
“My Profile” must be completed to request a background check.
*Click “My Profile” on the left hand menu, complete the form, and proceed to the following steps.
- To initiate the application and screening request click the check box next to the desired property on the List of Properties tab.
- Upon checking the appropriate box click “Request App/Screening”.
+Add Property – Property must be added to generate a background request. After property has been added:
- Click “List of Properties” on the left hand menu.
- Check the box located to the right of the property
- Click the blue button “Request App/Screening”
- Enter applicants information
- Select Package
- Send Invitation
This is where you can enter the property details for the homes or units you wish to lease.
By adding the property you are managing, you are able to select that property and initiate a background screening request to an applicant.
Note:
*There must be a property added before you are able to request a background check.
When adding a property Click “+ Property” on the left hand menu.
Enter the following information:
- Property Name
- Property Address
- Click “Add Property”
- My profile is where your name and contact information are listed.
- This section must be completed first upon registering a new account.
- Edit my profile by clicking the blue “Edit” button
This will allow you to request a Rental Application and Background Check for your applicant.
- To initiate the application and screening request click the check box next to the desired property on the List of Properties tab.
- Upon checking the appropriate box click “Request App/Screening”.
You must add a property in order to request an application and background screening request:
- Enter the property you are leasing by clicking “Add Property” on the left hand menu.
- When that is completed click “List of Properties”
- Click the check box next to the appropriate property
- Click “Request App/Screening”
- Enter applicants information and submit the request.
- No. All users are required to use their own username and password.
- It is against Federal Law to share login information.
- If log in information is shared, user will be banned from using this website.
Applicants will be responsible for paying the application fee via:
- Credit Card
- Debit Card
- Prepaid card
The only time an applicant is charged is when a background request is initiated. Applicant will be prompted to pay after completing the security questions and verifying their identity.
Only the credit bureau that is reporting the trade line can remove something on a credit file.
Disputes must filed directly with each credit bureau when disputing credit tradelines.
Click Here for more information: Transunion – Dispute of Information
Below is the contact information for each bureau.
- Transunion #800-916-8800
- Equifax #888-548-7878
- Experian #877-284-7942
- My Profile (on the left hand menu) must be completed before requesting a background check.
- List of properties (on the left hand menu) must be completed before requesting a background check.
To initiate the application and screening request click the check box next to the desired property on the List of Properties tab.
Upon checking the appropriate box click “Request App/Screening”.
You must enter a property in order to request an application and background screening request:
- Enter the property you are leasing by clicking “Add Property” on the left hand menu.
- When that is completed click “List of Properties”
- Click the check box next to the appropriate property
- Click “Request App/Screening”
- Enter applicants information and submit the request.
You will receive an email notification letting you know that the background report is complete. Once you are logged in you will go to List of Properties, then click on My Applicants. Then you will see the View Reports button.
Background screening reports can take 24-72 hours to be completed. This is for a number of reasons. Tenant Screening For Landlords (TSFL) goes much deeper than the normal background check. Our background screening reports may include physical phone calls to landlords and employers.
- Landlords and Employers are sometimes busy and hard to get a hold of. We will keep trying for 2 business days to contact them. Once a response is received, or 48 hours (or 2 business days) have passed the report will be completed and returned to the landlord as is.
Background screening reports can take 24-72 hours to be completed. This is for a number of reasons. Tenant Screening For Landlords (TSFL) goes much deeper than the normal background check. Our background screening reports may include physical phone calls to landlords and employers.
- Landlords and Employers are sometimes busy and hard to get a hold of. We will keep trying for 2 business days to contact them. Once a response is received, or 48 hours (or 2 business days) have passed the report will be completed and returned to the landlord as is.
Your email address cannot be changed. This is because your email address is the unique identifier for you to log in and operate your Tenant Screening For Landlords (TSFL) account.
- If an email change is needed please register a new account with your new email.
- Register New Email (create new account) by clicking here: REGISTER FOR NEW ACCOUNT
If you currently have an account with an old email, you can still log in to that account to view past reports if needed for any reason.
Once logged in, go to List of Properties at the far left hand side of the screen. You will now see My Applicants. Click on My Applicants and then there will be a drop down option for View Reports.
RENTALAPPLICATIONTENANTSCREENIAR will be the name listed by the charge on your statement.
Email info@acutraq.com to see a sample report.
Yes, each applicant will be required to sign an “Authorization for Release of Information”. This ensures the applicant is aware of everything the landlord may be using in their approval or denial decision. In the even an applicant is denied they have a right to receive a copy of that report by contacting Transunion.
- Applicant consent is the most important part of the background screening process. If an applicant refuses to sign the “Authorization for Release of Information” they will be unable to proceed with the application process.
No. For security purposes “Tenant Screening For Landlords” (TSFL) does not allow landlords to keep a credit card on file.
*Applicants pay for the background check. FREE for Landlords.
*If your personal and financial information is not there, then internet hackers are unable to steal it.
- Tenant Screening For Landlords (TSFL) stores only the necessary data needed to conduct a background check.
- Data breaches are becoming more common. We take security very serious.
- Information such as SSN’s and credit card numbers are not stored anywhere on the TSFL platform.
- Identity is verified directly through Transunions multifactor authentication (MFA) to ensure personal information remains with the credit bureau and not on this platform.
More and more companies are having data breaches. Companies like Amazon, Target, etc., have even experienced this. Therefore we feel it is important to cover all bases, with this method hackers have less incentive to breach our platform since we do not store your personal or financial information.
No. This will not impact the credit score of your applicants.
- Tenant Screening For Landlords pulls credit reports directly from Transunion and is a “Soft Hit”.
- This is because an invitation is sent to the applicant, the applicant then pays the application and gives permission directly to the credit bureau.
- Because the applicant is requesting his/her own credit report, it is considered a Soft Pull and does not affect the credit score.
For security purposes “Tenant Screening For Landlords” (TSFL) Powered By ACUTRAQ Background Screening, Inc.; does not store personal information considered unique identifiers to your identity.
*Your personal and financial information are not stored here, which means internet hackers are unable to steal it from the TSFL platform.
- Tenant Screening For Landlords (TSFL) stores only the necessary data needed to conduct a background check. That information is used for a one time use only and then disappears once the background report has been viewed by the landlord.
- Data breaches are becoming more common. We take security very serious.
- Information such as SSN’s and credit card numbers are not stored anywhere on the TSFL platform. Personal information is stored solely with Transunion Credit Bureau.
- Identity is verified directly through Transunion’s multifactor authentication (MFA) to ensure personal information remains with the credit bureau and not on this platform.
More and more companies are having data breaches. Companies like Amazon, Target, etc., have even experienced this. Therefore we feel it is important to cover all bases. With this method, internet hackers have less incentive to breach our platform since we do not store your personal or financial information.
This feature allows your identity to be verified by asking a set of personal questions only the applicant will know. This increases security and ensures the landlord is dealing with the proper person applying for the lease. If this section is failed, the applicant attempting to apply will be unable to proceed.
No, we can in no way provide assistance with decision making and cannot provide legal advice.
The full application fee goes to the property manager’s bank of choice. ACUTRAQ invoices on the first of each month, for reports pulled the previous month. Best practice is to keep a credit card on file with ACUTRAQ.
Yes, our online application is designed for brokers and management companies with multiple locations, or multiple apartment complexes. ACUTRAQ will include an online application for each multifamily property or real estate location as needed.
We use QuickleasePro for our online application and automatic lease generation. The automatic lease generator pulls data from the application, and places it on the lease. This helps eliminate a good portion of the data entry that was previously required to write a lease. The document can be sent via email to each part for an esignature.
Yes, reports are accessed by logging into our platform. Applications and Background Reports are stored on our platform for security. Unless you need to move it over to your software, it is recommended not to print or duplicate consumer reports.
Yes, reports are accessed by logging into our platform. Applications and Background Reports are stored on our platform for security. Unless you need to move it over to your software, it is recommended not to print or duplicate consumer reports. We can also set up it so that you receive email notifications when the report completes.
Doorgrow has a great team. We’re not necessarily integrated but all they would need is the link to your application. That link will be placed on an APPLY NOW Button, the button should be at the top of your website, and also on your listing page. They will know what to do.
Never provide a physical copy of the report to anyone. You can discuss what is contained in the report, but a copy should never be release to anyone.
If your applicant is requesting a consumer copy, please provide them with ACUTRAQ’s contact information.
Phone #: 479-439-9174
Email: support@acutraq.com