A note from our co-founder and CEO, Daniel Resner.
TL;DR:
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Your verification includes a credit range, criminal, and eviction check
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Your Renter Verification report is reusable for three months
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During that time, you can apply to any property on our platform and your report is automatically included with your application
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One-time $25 fee
Growing up during the 2008 financial crisis, my parents taught me a few tricks to save a couple bucks here and there. One of them was always double-checking the receipt before leaving the store. People make mistakes, and sometimes you get charged twice for something, and nobody likes getting double charged.
Unfortunately, for a lot of renters, getting charged twice or more for a background check is just normal.
In competitive rental markets, it's common to pay $50 or more just to apply. That application fee is supposed to cover your credit, criminal, and eviction check. But what if you're applying to more than one place? You pay again. Same background check, same data, another fee. That's a waste, especially when you're already juggling the cost of a move.
That's where MatchBook Renter Verification comes in
With your permission, we pull your background screening report covering credit, eviction, and criminal history. You get to review the full report, make sure it's accurate, and once you're comfortable with it, you can attach it to every application you send through MatchBook.
It's reusable for three months. No extra fees, no repeat charges, just one verified renter profile you can use again and again. Getting MatchBook Verified shows landlords you're serious, qualified, and ready to go, and it only costs $25, which is about half of what you'd normally pay for a single screening report.
This isn't some big money-maker for us. It's like the Costco rotisserie chicken. Affordable, high quality, and it just makes sense.
If you're new to this kind of housing, it's worth understanding how midterm rentals work and how MatchBook compares to other platforms before you start applying. When you're ready, you can start your search here.
Frequently asked questions
What does MatchBook Renter Verification include?
It's a background screening report covering your credit score range, eviction history, and criminal history. You review the full report yourself before it's shared with any host.
How long is the report valid?
Three months. During that window, it attaches automatically to every application you send through MatchBook, so you're not re-running it property by property.
How much does it cost?
A one-time $25 fee, which is roughly half of a typical single application screening fee of $50 or more. There are no repeat charges during the three-month period.
Do I have to pay a new fee for each application?
No. That's the point. One $25 report covers unlimited applications on MatchBook for three months, instead of paying a separate screening fee at every property.
Who gets to see my report?
You see it first and confirm it's accurate before anyone else does. From there, it's shared with hosts only when you apply to their listing.