Proper screening is essential to maximize your chances of finding a high-quality tenant. To evaluate a candidate, you must do extensive research on their background to determine their suitability for your rental.
This is where a tenant screening platform can simplify the challenges of finding the necessary information from various sources, while providing guidance on how to screen tenants effectively to meet your requirements.
SingleKey offers a comprehensive and easy-to-read tenant background report that provides a wide range of crucial information about a renter’s past. In this guide, we’ll show you how to order SingleKey’s Tenant Report and how use it to find your next tenant.
Step-by-Step Guide: Ordering a SingleKey Tenant Report
Step 1: Set up your account or log in
The first step is to create your SingleKey account or log in if you already have an account.
If you need to set up an account, you must complete a short form and provide some basic details about yourself and the type of rental property you manage.
Pro Tip: Before you’re able to view the report, you’ll be asked to verify who you are by uploading a picture of yourself and a piece of government-issued identification. Ensure you enter your name exactly as it appears on your identification.
Once you’ve signed in, click on the “New Credit Check” button at the top right-hand corner of the page, which will take you to the page where you can order our report:
Alternatively, you can visit this link to start the process.
Step 2: Invite a tenant or enter the tenant’s information
Next, you must provide a few basic details about the applicant. There are two ways you can do so.
This option sends an email to the applicant to complete an application form. It’s a useful option if you’ve yet to collect your applicant’s personal information (e.g., name, current address, and phone number). It’s also ideal if the applicant will be the one paying for the cost of the report. Once you complete this step, SingleKey will email the tenant a link to the application form to collect their information and consent.
To get started, click the “Send Invitation” button.
A new page will appear where you’ll need to provide a few details, including:
- Your first name, last name, and email address.
- The applicant’s first name, last name, and email address.
- Entering the applicant’s phone number is optional.
You can select whether you or the applicant will cover the report’s cost. You can also specify whether or not you require the applicant to have renter’s insurance.
In addition, you can customize the form by requesting additional information for the applicant to provide. This information may include:
- Government-issued identification
- Landlord references
- Employment reference
- Proof of income
To add one or more of these requirements to the form, click “+ Additional Options” and select your desired field by clicking the toggle button.
If you want to invite a second applicant (or multiple applicants) to complete the form, click “+ Add a Second Applicant.”
Once you’ve completed this page, click the “Continue” button, which will take you to the “Property Information” page.
This method is ideal if you’ve already obtained the applicant’s personal information. You can enter the details directly into SingleKey’s system and receive your report within five minutes.
First, click the “Enter Info” button, which will take you to a form to enter basic details about yourself and the applicant. Some fields are mandatory to fill out, while others are optional.
You’ll need to enter the applicant’s first name, last name, date of birth, current address, and, if you wish, phone number. You can also provide the social insurance number (SIN) and driver’s licence number. Including these details will improve SingleKey’s ability to collect accurate information about the tenant.
In addition, you can upload a copy of the applicant’s consent form or driver’s licence.
If you want to purchase multiple reports simultaneously, click the “+ Add a Second Applicant” button to create forms for additional applicants to fill out.
Once you’ve finished entering the required information, click the “Continue” button, which will take you to the “Property information” page.
Here, you can enter your rental property address, expected monthly rent, lease terms, and lease start date. Once you’re done, click the “Continue” button to get to the checkout page.
Step 3: Pay for the report
Now that you’ve supplied all the information SingleKey needs to assemble your Tenant Report, the next step is to pay for your order.
Enter your credit or debit card details and postal code. The partner code field is optional and applicable only if you received a promotional code to get a discount on your purchase.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a PayPal button, which you can click if you prefer to use this payment method. You can save your payment method, too, to expedite future purchases.
Once you’ve entered your payment details, click the “Buy now” button to complete your transaction.
Pro Tip: If the applicant is the one covering the cost of the report, they will enter their payment information and complete the transaction.
Step 4: Receive your report
After completing your payment, your report will be available within a few minutes. To access it, log into your SingleKey account and go to the “Tenant reports” page. From here, you can view and download a copy of the report.
Suppose you invited your applicant to provide the required information to generate the report. In that case, you’ll need to wait for them to complete and submit the application form. Once they’ve done so, your report will appear under the “Tenant reports” page.
With all the necessary details in one report, you can now learn what valuable insights you can gain from each part of SingleKey’s Tenant Report.
Our final thoughts
With the right tenant screening service, you can quickly access the information you need to evaluate rental applicants confidently. SingleKey makes tenant screening easy, providing information landlords can trust when searching for the perfect tenant.
