Why Do I Have To Confirm My Identity?

Why do I need to confirm my identity?

The credit bureaus now require landlords to confirm their identity before they can view an applicant's credit report. The credit bureaus' goal is to prevent identity theft and fraud in rental leasing. Their position is that an applicant should not share their credit report with a landlord unless that landlord's identity is confirmed. The identity confirmation is required only if you request credit reports for tenant screening. 

 

Does confirming my identity hurt my credit score?

No. The identity authentication does not impact your credit score, and the identity authentication does not run a credit report. The identity authentication is a "soft-inquiry" that does not impact your credit score.

 

Is my SSN safe?

Yes. Your SSN is SSL encrypted, passed from LeaseRunner directly to Experian, then permanently deleted from LeaseRunner's servers. 

 

How does the identity authentication work?

LeaseRunner securely provides your name, address, date of birth, and SSN to Experian. Experian searches its records to determine if there is a consumer with those identifiers. If there is a match, Experian will serve 4-5 multiple choice questions from your credit history. Correctly answering the questions will confirm that you are who you say you are. LeaseRunner's rental applicants must pass the same identity verification when they approve the tenant screening request. 

 

How does confirming my identity prevent fraud?

Confirming your identity gives the applicant confidence to submit their credit report online to a landlord who is often a stranger. Think about it from the applicant's point of view. Would you be willing to submit your credit report online to an unknown landlord? There is a lot of rental fraud out there. One type of fraud is when a thief pretends to be a landlord in an attempt to steal identity information and credit report data from unsuspecting applicants. Identity confirmation helps prevent that fraud.

 

Is identity authentication necessary for all of LeaseRunner's services?

No. Identity authentication is necessary only for credit reports. At this time, you can still process rental applications and run criminal reports, eviction reports, and financial profiles without identity authentication.

 

Does LeaseRunner support identity authentication?

Yes. LeaseRunner fully supports identity authentication. We believe that confirming the identity of both the applicants and the landlords makes the internet safer for rental leasing.