Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide. Faster, Easier, Better Resident Screening! Each AppFolio Screening Report includes:

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1 KEY FEATURES: Built-in AppFolio: Resident Screening is built-in to AppFolio. Screen applicants and move-in approved applicants right in AppFolio. Fast - So you can close prospects on the spot: Get credit, eviction and criminal data in seconds and make an instant decision. Designed for Ease of Use: Screening reports are easy to use and read. No training required - anyone on your team will be able to understand AppFolio screening reports. KEY BENEFITS: Save Hassles: Property managers no longer need to use a 3 rd party service, hassle with paper documents and faxing reports, or store credit records at their office. Save Time: Customers switching to AppFolio Screening estimate that they save between 10 and 30 minutes per application! Save Money: AppFolio pricing for resident screening is substantially below other providers at only $10.00 for a National Credit & Eviction search, and only $15.00 for National Credit, Eviction and Criminal search. Faster, Easier, Better Resident Screening! AppFolio provides the easiest solution for resident screening. Property Managers can screen and approve prospects in minutes directly in AppFolio. You will now be able to screen your applicants with a simple click of your mouse. Screening is built right into the application to save duplicant data entry. The report is easy to read and understand, is generated in seconds and is immediately available right in AppFolio...no more printing, faxing, or calling! This means you can avoid the time consuming task of creating and processing paper screening because all of the data is automatically entered into AppFolio. In addition to saving time, you are able to start the screening process faster, and ultimately fill vacancies faster. Each AppFolio Screening Report includes: Easy-to-read report with summary and detail information. FICO credit score, complete credit report and public records from Experian, the leading national credit bureau. Nationwide Eviction search uncovers unlawful detainer filings (even those without a judgment that will not appear on a credit report). Nationwide Criminal search, including registered Sex Offender check and terrorist (OFAC) watch list. (Optional). Two Packages To Choose From National Credit + Eviction Search: $10.00 per screen National Credit + Eviction Search + Criminal Search: $15.00 per screen Easy Billing AppFolio simply deducts screening charges on the 10 th of each month via direct debit (ACH) from whatever checking or savings account the Property Manager designates. Property Managers can view screening history and fees using the AppFolio Screening Usage report. Guide Contents Set up Your AppFolio Account for Resident Screening... 2 Create an Application... 4 Screen an Applicant... 4 Read a Screening Report... 5 Re-Screen an Applicant... 6 Generate the Screening Usage Report... 6 Track Usage, Billing and Access Past Screening Reports... 6 Notes & FAQs... 7 AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 1

2 Set up Your AppFolio Account for Resident Screening To begin using the Resident Screening feature does require completing a setup process. AppFolio has made the process as easy and convenient as possible and takes on many of the tasks involved in the process so customers do not have to be bothered with them. To begin the process of getting your AppFolio account please click the link below and complete the online form. Once you complete and submit the form you will be contacted to begin the process. Please Click Here to Begin the Setup Process: Please complete all information on the form and then click the Get Started button to send us your request to get started with Resident Screening Once you submit the form a Client Account Representative will contact you answer your questions and begin the setup process. AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 2

3 Understand The Resident Screening Process The following are the steps in the Resident Screening process. 1. All resident screens are based upon having a rental application in AppFolio. Applications can be created either by the tenant online using AppFolio s Online Application feature, or within AppFolio by an AppFolio user using the New Rental Application feature. 2. Once an application exists in AppFolio, you run a screen simply and easily by clicking the Screen Now button on the Rental Application. 3. The screening will run and return the report in AppFolio, click the View Report link on the Screening Results page to view the report. The report is designed to be easily readable and understandable. The summary section at the top of the report provides quick review of all pertinent information for screening decisions. 4. If the screening results are agreeable, update the applicant status to Accepted and continue to proceed with the applicant process to convert them to a tenant. If the screening results are not agreeable update the applicant status to Declined, enter notes and notify the applicant of the denial. AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 3

4 Create an Application All Resident Screens are based upon having an application in Appfolio. The best practice method for getting applications into AppFolio is to use AppFolio s integrated online application feature and have prospective tenants complete and submit the application online. When they do so it is received directly into AppFolio and immediately available for screening. If you are not using the online application feature you can create an application to be able to screen the prospect within AppFolio. To create an application in AppFolio: 1. Log into AppFolio, click the Leasing Tab, then the Rental Applications sub-tab 2. In the right-side Tasks pane, click the link for New Rental Application 3. This opens the application entry page, select the unit the applicant is interested in and enter the prospect s information, at a minimum you must complete the required fields designated with a red asterisk (*). 4. When you are done entering the application information click the Save button at the bottom of the page. The application will be saved and the page will refresh showing the completed application within AppFolio. Screen an Applicant Once there is an application within AppFolio, you can begin the screening process. 1. Log into AppFolio, click the Leasing Tab, then the Rental Applications sub-tab 2. On the Rental Applications tab, scroll down to find the application you wish to screen and click the applicant name to load their application 3. On their application page, in the top summary section, click the Screen Now button 4. The screen will begin, and you will be prompted with the screening confirmation box. The box provides any system warnings and alert notifications. If you wish to continue with the screen click the Screen Applicant button, if not you can cancel the screen. 5. The screening report will return into AppFolio on the Screening Results page, click the View Report link to view the report. AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 4

5 Read a Screening Report Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide The screening report is composed of two primary sections, the summary section and the details section. Summary section is located at the top of the report and provides an overview of all screening findings. Detail section is located below the summary and provides line item details for each reported item. Summary Section The Applicant Information section provides the applicant Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Current and Previous Address as provided by Experian. + Credit Summary section provides FICO Score, and summary or all negative trade items to help focus attention to the primary items that may affect applicant rental decision. Eviction History provides details on any previous evictions on record. Criminal History is an additional purchase option, provides details on criminal offenses. Detail Section The Report Details section provides additional in-depth information, expanding on the details provided in the summary section for times when you wish to investigate an item further. AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 5

6 Re Screen an Applicant Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide If you have had to make a change to the applicant's information you can re-screen the applicant. To use this feature: 1. Log into AppFolio, under the Start Page tab, click the Rental Applications sub-tab, and select the application you wish to rescreen 2. While viewing an application that has been screened, click the View Now button in the rental application status section at the top of the page. 3. The page will reload with the Screening Results page showing all previously completed screens, to rescreen click the (Re-Screen) link 4. The screen will run again and return an updated screening report. Please note that all Re-Screens will have an additional billing charge. Generate the Screening Usage Report The Screening Usage report provides reporting on all screenings that have been run in AppFolio. 1. Log into AppFolio, click the Reports tab and scroll down to the Property & Unit Reports section 2. Click the Screening Usage report link, the report will generate in a new tab 3. The report filter displays, select your filter options and click the Filter button 4. The report will complete generation and display a list of all screens by property 5. You may customize the report as desired using standard AppFolio report customization options Track Usage, Billing and Access Past Screening Reports You can track all completed screenings, view related expenses, and access past screening reports (reports are stored for six years) by running the Screening Usage report (as described above). AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 6

7 Notes & FAQs Can I run a report on myself (my spouse, by friend, my colleague, etc) in AppFolio? No. You must have permissible purpose (ie, screening a prospective tenant) and written authorization before you obtain a screening report (review screening terms of service for more information about your obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act at If you d like a copy of your own report, visit to request a free report once a year (there is a minimal fee if you want your FICO score). A criminal hit did not note whether the offense was a misdemeanor or a felony. Will the system give us this info? If the court record includes the information, you ll see it in AppFolio s screening report. Many jurisdictions report information about the severity of the crime, in other cases you may be able to find out more about a charge by searching online for the type of case along with the county or state the crime was reported in. Property Managers should also be aware that a misdemeanor crime in one jurisdiction can be a felony in a neighboring jurisdiction, so it s important to pay attention to the actual offense. Why would the credit report return trade lines without a FICO score? The FICO credit score is calculated (rather than stored and retrieved) each time a credit report is returned. If there is insufficient credit history, or if the data in the history is not recent enough, the FICO score can't be calculated. In these cases you will often see some old tradelines on the report and these are usually negative. Can I screen someone with an address outside the US? No. AppFolio resident screening service only works for applicants with a current address in the United States. Our system won t attempt a screen if the applicant s address is non-us. What is an eviction (aka unlawful detainer or forcible detainer)? An eviction is a suit brought by a landlord to obtain possession of rented property and receive payment of back rent. The first step is a filing, when the tenant is served and a trial may happen. Many eviction suits never go to trial and less than 10% result in monetary judgment. Evictions only appear on a credit report when there is a monetary judgment; many property managers mistakenly think that they can rely on the credit report to uncover prior evictions. AppFolio s nationwide eviction data is based on filings so many more evictions will be uncovered. Will we be able to run a report that shows the applicant charges and AppFolio fees? A screening usage report is available in AppFolio for customers who use the screening service. The report provides detailed information about each screen obtained during the time period you specify, per property. Run this report for the calendar month in order to reconcile to monthly charges. Can we choose to run a criminal check based on the credit report results? At this time, the package you choose will apply to all of the screens you run. The two packages are: Credit report (including FICO score) and Nationwide Eviction: $10 per screen Same as above plus a Nationwide Criminal Search that includes searches of the nationwide sex offender database and OFAC (terrorist) watch list: $15 per screen AppFolio, Inc. Resident Screening Quick Reference Guide Page 7