AppFolio Screening on your credit report: what this inquiry means

Who AppFolio Screening is

AppFolio, Inc. provides tenant screening to property management companies and landlords.

Is it a hard or soft inquiry?

A bureau credit pull made during AppFolio screening can be coded hard or soft depending on the property's setup. Rental pulls don't get FICO's rate-shopping grouping, so ask the property manager before you apply to several of its listings.

Why it showed up on your report

You applied for a rental through a property manager's online application that runs on AppFolio.

How to check that you authorized it

1. Find the application confirmation email from the property manager; it usually names the portal.
2. Ask the manager whether one screening covers every unit it lists or each application is screened again.
3. Request your AppFolio screening report to see what was released.

How to reach AppFolio Screening

Contact AppFolio Screening Consumer Relations through its consumer page, by phone or by mail for a free screening report.

Guides that go deeper

• What each apartment application costs your creditLandlord credit checks can be hard or soft, and FICO doesn't group rental inquiries the way it groups loan shopping. Ask these questions before you pay.
• What landlords see when they check your creditMany landlords buy a tenant screening report that goes beyond your credit score. What it contains, who sells it, and how deposits and guarantors work.
• Hard vs. soft inquiries: which credit checks count against youA hard inquiry comes from a credit application and can trim your score. A soft one never does. A table of the common checks, gray zones included.