How Can I Order a Credit Report on Someone Else?

Sometimes you have a need to order credit reports on other people. If you’re an employer or landlord, you need credit reports to make sure you’re hiring or renting to people with good credit histories.

Before you run a credit check on someone, you must have their written permission. Have the applicant sign a consent form that includes the reason you’re checking their credit report and their agreement to have you check their credit. Without this consent form, you could be fined or imprisoned, or both.

To run a credit check on an applicant, you can use a screening service like ScreenNow Employment or Advantage Tenant. TransUnion’s MySmartMove.com allows independent landlords to screen tenants based on information in the applicant’s TransUnion credit report. Screening services like the ones mentioned above are typically the most affordable options for small businesses and independent landlords. You can also check with the individual credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Adverse action notice

You must notify the applicant if you make a decision against them based on their credit. Federal law requires you to give an explanation of the factors that caused them to be denied along with the name, address, and phone number of the credit bureau who provided the report. The notice should state that the credit bureau did not make the adverse action decision and is not able to give the consumer reasons that adverse action was taken. Consumers must be notified that they have a right to receive a free copy of the report used in the decision and their right to have inaccurate information removed from their credit reports.

Related Link:

Who Can Access Your Credit Report