Experian Tenant Screening vs Rent With Clara

Experian Tenant Screening is a paid tenant-screening service for landlords, property managers, screening providers and rental partners. It runs on the web and through APIs, with pricing available on request. Screening data includes credit information, rental-history insights, income verification, employment data, criminal searches, eviction searches and identity verification. Experian says credit checks and risk scores help predict future payment behavior, while automated income and employment access reduces manual verification. RentBureau supplies renter-specific payment history and is described as an FCRA-regulated specialty consumer reporting agency. Through Zillow, renters apply online for participating rentals and receive an Experian credit report alongside residence history, background checks, and income and employment verification. Most checks return within minutes; rare manual reviews can take one to two business days. The Zillow application is free for landlords and costs renters $35, reusable for 30 days. Experian Connect API supports credit sharing, identity and fraud features, report sharing and archiving.

Rent With Clara provides rental applications and tenant screening for renters, landlords, and real estate agents. Screening reports can include credit history and a FICO score, criminal and eviction records, application details, income and employment checks, and identity verification. For identity checks, Clara compares a live image of a government-issued ID with a biometric selfie for liveness and face matching. Income and employment can be verified through payroll, bank connections, or third-party-verified documents; Argyle is its named partner for direct-source verification. Clara says credit reports come from TransUnion. Renters can reuse a profile and active reports when applying to multiple landlords during a 30-day period. Profiles are encrypted and shared only with landlords or agents the renter approves. Reports remain active for 30 days, after which renters can refresh them. Clara says its screening process is designed around Fair Housing laws, FCRA requirements, and state-specific regulations. Landlords and agents can use the full platform without a fee; a renter application costs $49.00 USD once and covers unlimited Clara properties for 30 days.