Prices checked on October 15, 2026 Prices change. Confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.
On the platforms we checked, screening is usually paid by the applicant: TurboTenant $45–$55 depending on your plan, RentRedi $39.99 (or $49.99 with income verification), and Baselane from $24.99. Stessa offers RentPrep screening from $29 on every plan, including free.
Screening Costs Compared
| Platform | Screening price | Who pays | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurboTenant | $45 (Pro) · $55 (Free/Essentials) | Renter (the landlord can choose to pay) | Credit, criminal and eviction checks. Income and employer verification on paid tiers. |
| RentRedi | $39.99 · $49.99 with income verification | Tenant | Credit, criminal and eviction reports. Income verification is Plaid-certified. |
| Baselane | From $24.99 | Listed as a tenant fee | Report contents — |
| Stessa | $29 credit · $29 background · $49 complete (RentPrep) | Landlord or tenant (background check: landlord only) | Tenant screening on all plans, priority screening on Pro |
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What to Look for
- Credit, criminal and eviction checks in a single report.
- Income verification, since fraud checks are a selling point on TurboTenant's paid tiers.
- Who pays, and whether your state or city limits application fees. Check your local rules.
Next: best landlord software overall.
Every Screening Option We Verified
| Platform | Package | Price | Who can pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TurboTenant | Credit, criminal and eviction (Free and Essentials landlords) | $55 | Renter by default; landlord can choose to pay |
| TurboTenant | Same report for Pro landlords | $45 | Renter by default; landlord can choose to pay |
| RentRedi | Credit, criminal and eviction | $39.99 | Tenant |
| RentRedi | Plus Plaid-certified income verification | $49.99 | Tenant |
| Baselane | Tenant screening | From $24.99 | Listed as a tenant fee; check vendor for report contents |
| Stessa (RentPrep) | Credit report only (ResidentScore, bankruptcies) | $29 | Landlord or tenant |
| Stessa (RentPrep) | Full background check (SSN, criminal, evictions, judgments and liens) | $29 | Landlord only |
| Stessa (RentPrep) | Complete package (both of the above) | $49 | Landlord or tenant |
| Stessa (RentPrep) | Add-ons: income verification / income and employment | $10 / $15 | Add-on |
Worked Example: What Screening Costs Over a Year
Assume each unit turns over once a year and you screen two serious applicants per vacancy. That's 2 reports a year for 1 unit, 8 for 4 units and 20 for 10 units. The table shows the total, whoever ends up paying it.
| Option | 1 unit (2 reports) | 4 units (8) | 10 units (20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baselane (from $24.99) | From $49.98 | From $199.92 | From $499.80 |
| Stessa complete package ($49) | $98 | $392 | $980 |
| RentRedi ($39.99) | $79.98 | $319.92 | $799.80 |
| RentRedi with income ($49.99) | $99.98 | $399.92 | $999.80 |
| TurboTenant Pro ($45) | $90 | $360 | $900 |
| TurboTenant Free/Essentials ($55) | $110 | $440 | $1,100 |
When applicants pay, these totals matter mostly as a fairness and conversion issue. A high fee can put off good applicants in a competitive market. When you pay, for example where local rules cap application fees, a cheaper package can save a few hundred dollars a year at 10 units.
Pros and Cons of Each Approach
- TurboTenant: screening is built into the free application flow, and the renter pays when they apply, so there's no chasing payment. On Pro, income and employer verification plus fraud detection come with it. Downside: Free and Essentials applicants pay $55.
- RentRedi: clear two-tier pricing with an income verification option. Downside: you need a paid RentRedi plan to use it.
- Baselane: the lowest listed starting price, inside a free banking app. Downside: the pricing page doesn't spell out report contents, so check vendor.
- Stessa: RentPrep reports with FCRA-certified screener review and live help from trained screeners. Downside: the background check can only be paid by the landlord.
How to Run Screening Fairly
- Write your criteria before you list (for example income-to-rent ratio, no recent evictions) and apply them to every applicant.
- Tell applicants the fee and what it covers up front.
- Get written consent. Platform applications collect it as part of the flow.
- If you deny or add conditions because of a report, follow the adverse-action notice requirements that apply to you. Your platform's help center or a local attorney can confirm the details.
- Store reports securely and keep them only as long as you need to.
For the step-by-step process itself, use our tenant screening checklist. Want screening plus rent collection in one app? Compare TurboTenant, RentRedi and Baselane.
Picking a Screening Option by Situation
You're Already Using a Platform
Use its built-in screening. Reports land next to the application, and the applicant pays as part of the flow on TurboTenant and RentRedi. Switching tools just for screening rarely pays off.
Your City Caps or Bans Application Fees
You may need to pay for screening yourself. The cheapest verified options are Baselane (from $24.99) and a single Stessa/RentPrep report ($29). Stessa's full background check can only be landlord-paid anyway.
You've Been Burned by Fake Pay Stubs
Add bank-based income verification: RentRedi's $49.99 option, TurboTenant Pro, or Stessa's $10 add-on, which summarizes income streams and average balances from connected accounts.
How We Checked
We read each vendor's own pricing and feature pages on October 15, 2026: TurboTenant pricing, RentRedi pricing, Baselane pricing, Stessa tenant screening page. We only state prices and features shown there. Where a vendor doesn't publish a number, we say "check vendor" rather than guess. Worked examples use the listed prices and simple, stated assumptions; your totals will depend on your plan, billing term and how tenants pay.
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Who pays for tenant screening?
Usually the applicant. TurboTenant lists $55 for renters applying to landlords on Free or Essentials, and $45 for landlords on Pro; landlords can choose to pay. RentRedi lists $39.99, or $49.99 with income verification. Baselane lists screening from $24.99. Stessa (via RentPrep) lists $29–$49 with landlord or tenant pay options.
Can I screen a tenant without a full application?
TurboTenant says that if you don't need an application, the tenant pays the fee when they verify their identity for the screening report.
Which screening option is cheapest?
Of the prices we could verify, Baselane's starts lowest at $24.99, versus $29 for a single Stessa/RentPrep report, $39.99 on RentRedi and $45–$55 on TurboTenant.
What does Stessa's screening cost?
Stessa uses RentPrep: $29 for a credit report, $29 for a full background check (landlord-paid only) or $49 for both. Income verification is a $10 add-on, and income plus employment verification is $15.
Why do TurboTenant applicants pay different amounts?
TurboTenant lists $55 for renters applying to landlords on Free or Essentials and $45 for landlords on Pro.
Does RentRedi verify income?
Yes. The $49.99 option adds Plaid-certified income verification to the credit, criminal and eviction reports.
Can the landlord pay instead of the applicant?
TurboTenant says landlords can choose to pay. Stessa lists landlord and tenant pay options for credit and complete packages, and landlord-only for the background check. RentRedi lists screening as tenant-paid.
How many applicants should I screen?
Screen only applicants who meet your written criteria on paper. That keeps costs down and treats everyone consistently.
Is a credit report enough?
Most landlords also check criminal and eviction history and verify income. Packages that bundle these, like RentRedi's $39.99 report or Stessa's $49 complete package, save ordering them separately.
Do screening services include a score?
Stessa's RentPrep credit report lists ResidentScore. For other platforms, check vendor for what's in the report.
Sources
- TurboTenant pricing: https://www.turbotenant.com/pricing/
- RentRedi pricing: https://rentredi.com/pricing/
- Baselane pricing: https://www.baselane.com/pricing
- Stessa pricing: https://www.stessa.com/pricing/
All prices and features above come from these vendor pages, checked on October 15, 2026. Details we couldn't confirm there are left out.