It's important to know that the screening fee is charged to the renter by default. However, there are those special circumstances where you may want to pay for your prospective tenant's application and screening fee. As a landlord, you have the following options available to you that you may consider:
Apply Fee Towards Their First Month's Rent
Apply the fee to cover the cost of their first month's rent. To ensure your tenants are aware of this offer, we recommend including it in the description section of your property listing. This information will be prominently displayed on your listing website, rental brochure, and syndicated listings on other platforms.
Request a Screening Report
You can pay for the screening report. Follow the steps below if you wish to pay for your prospective tenant application and screening fee:
1. Navigate to the "Screen a Tenant" section within your Leads or Applicants Tab on your dashboard.
2. Select "Request a Report (Screening Report Only),"
3. Enter the prospective renter's information
4. Towards the end, click on the option stating, "I will pay the fee."
5. Enter your card information or proceed if you already have a card on file.
💡 TurboTip: You cannot pay the application and screening fee if you choose to complete the application first. After verifying their identity, the applicant can add their information by selecting "Add Information" on the renter portal.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: If a renter has already started the application, can I pay for the application and report?
A: No, once the application has been started by the renter, there is not an option for the landlord to pay for the screening fee. You can reimburse the renter outside of the platform or by applying it to their first month's rent.
Q: I chose to pay for the report, but now I want the renter to pay. Can I switch who pays for the report after it has already been requested?
A: No, once the report is paid for by the landlord, it cannot be switched to the renter to pay. You may be able to ask them to reimburse you outside of the platform.
Q: I chose for the renter to pay for the report, but now I want to pay. Can I switch who pays for the report after it has already been requested?
A: No, once the report is requested, it cannot be switched to the landlord to pay. You can reimburse the renter outside of the platform or by applying it to their first month's rent.