Level Up Your Fight Against CoreLogic Rental Report Errors

The pure shock of having your rental application denied becomes a head-on collision with reality when you realize you may be rapidly heading toward a housing crisis.

If you’re dealing with one of the many, valid reasons why someone can have an apartment application denied after a housing background check, you’ll need to do a deep dive into your credit, background, and eviction history and build a path to recovery.

But what about when your tenant screening report is actually just a list of neatly organized rental screening errors, and not the truth? THIS is a situation you can tackle right now, by relying on your legal rights and using smart resources. We’ll explain what these CoreLogic rental reports are, how they can go wrong, and how to fix errors fast, and for FREE.

How CoreLogic Rental Reports Fit Into the Rental Process

CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions is a tenant screening company. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, it is just another way of saying a rental background check company.

The role these companies play in your landlord’s screening process is simple. They use your personal identifiable information (like your birthdate, social security number, prior addresses, etc.) to run a background check on you, and then compile all of the information they gather into a third-party screening report, which in this case is called a CoreLogic rental report.

This CoreLogic rental report is initiated during the application process and requires your direct authorization. Your landlord (or property manager) is then provided with a copy of your report and relies on the information in it to determine whether you are qualified or disqualified as a renter.

What a CoreLogic Rental Report Commonly Includes

A rental background check report, such as a CoreLogic rental report, typically includes the following categories of information about you:

• ‍Credit report and credit score: a credit history for renters includes all the typical information that is included in any credit report, like loans, credit cards, debts, etc. This also usually includes your credit score.
• Eviction records: this sets out any prior eviction history you may have, though it is usually limited to a 7-year reporting period‍
• Rental history report: this is a catalog of your prior rentals and whether things were left in good standing‍
• Public records screening: this takes a look at any potential bankruptcies or civil judgements against you or similar‍
• Income verification: this data is used to confirm the information you self-reported about who your employer is and how much money you make.‍
• Criminal background check: any prior interactions with the criminal legal system will show up here, including arrests, charges, convictions, and registries (if applicable, such as the National Sex OffenderRegistry)

Who Makes the Final Decision on Your Rental Application?

This question can get slightly tricky because your landlord (or property manager) is the person making the final decision on your rental application. But the information provided in your Corelogic rental report is generally what your landlord relies on to make this decision.

So, if you get denied, the denial is coming from your landlord. But most likely the denial is based on data in your tenant screening report. This is why you should treat any rental application denial like an investigation, and appoint yourself the detective!

How to Identify the Real Reason for a Rental Rejection

When you don’t know what to do next, it seems like your only option my just be spinning your wheels, wondering “Why was my rental application denied? I didn’t deserve this.” But when you do know what to do next, you get right to your recovery checklist:

• ‍Ask for a clear rental denial explanation.Your landlord or property manager may say something like, “Your criminal history doesn’t align with our landlord screening standard.” Or, “Your credit history shows too much debt for your income under our criteria.” ‍
• Request your tenant screening report. If you weren’t able to select receipt of a copy at the time that you authorized the report, you can always request one after if it’s been run. You can ask the landlord or request a copy of your CoreLogic rental report right from the source- CoreLogic. Note: this is also true of any other tenant screening company that may have run your report, such as a SafeRent report.‍
• Review your rental background check. Very carefully consider every item in your CoreLogic report. If anything is inaccurate, outdated, duplicated, false, or wrong in any other way, it is a tenant screening error. Look for anything that doesn’t seem right.

Common Errors Found in Tenant Screening Reports

Errors can, and do, show up in all kinds of ways, but here are some common tenant screening report errors to look out for:

• Mixed file background check info: this is what happens when someone else’s data gets mixed into yours and shows up on your report unlawfully
• Incorrect eviction record: this can be duplicate entries about a real eviction, outdated rental records, or a completely false eviction history
• Mistaken identity background check info: this is similar to mixed file background check info and can be caused by that type of mix up, but it can also be caused by other things, like identity theft and fraud
• Credit report errors: financial mistakes can stop your rental application in its tracks
• Criminal history errors: this is a big problem that impacts a lot of people

What to Do After Discovering Errors on Your CoreLogic Rental Report

If you receive a wrongful rental denial, you’ll need to dispute tenant screening report errors and request a housing background check correction.

The CoreLogic dispute process will be listed on the website, which is where you should look to find the CoreLogic dispute address. Then follow these steps:

1. ‍Prepare a written dispute of your background check. Be detailed and precise. Mark up a copy of your Corelogic rental report, clearly showing where the errors are. Use your dispute letter to refer to the errors you’ve marked in your report.‍
2. Identify and gather supporting evidence. This can be any number of documents, depending on what kind of rental report errorsyou’re dealing with. Think through which documents and evidence offer the greatest support for your dispute, then make copies, mark them up if needed, and send them along.‍
3. Mail the dispute letter and supporting documentation to CoreLogic. You can also use the online dispute portal, but we recommend using certified mail because it keeps the tracking and confirmation in your control, not theirs. And sometimes online dispute portals make you waive important legal rights when you agree to the terms and conditions of use.

Your Renter Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

When you bump up against an inaccurate CoreLogic rental report, you have important renter background check rights that back you up.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act renters have a right to:

• Have an accurate CoreLogic rental report. The FCRA says that inaccurate consumer reports of all kinds, including tenant screening reports, are unlawful
• File a dispute (see above)
• Get an FCRA reinvestigation of the disputed information in their report
• File a CoreLogic lawsuit if the dispute is ignored or the error continues

Why a Rental Denial May Require Legal Help

The obvious reason you might need a lawyer is if you've filed a dispute and it got ignored or the errors went uncorrected. But a tenant screening attorney can also help if you’ve suffered harm from these errors. Housing background check litigation is frequently used to fight for compensation for renters who have been turned away or left without options because their CoreLogic rental report is wrong.

And no matter what you call them, a rental denial lawyer or an FCRA attorney for renters, they're the same thing. It’s basically an attorney who is capable of not only walking you through the CoreLogic dispute process, but also of filing a lawsuit to enforce your federal rights and seek compensation.

Preventing Future Rental Denials with Mistake.com

Dispute, dispute, dispute. If rental report errors are the cause of having your rental application rejected, this is your mantra for getting real fixes. You need to dispute them as soon as possible using a solid dispute letter and supporting evidence.

If your dispute gets ignored or isn’t successful, you need to pivot to an approach of dispute, track, sue. While you hope that a lawsuit isn’t necessary, it can be a powerful option for clearing your record, your name, and your ability to secure housing.

At Mistake.com, we handle everything for you. From disputes to lawsuits (if needed) and everything in between. Our team of lawyers is fearless, strategic, and fully committed to doing right by you at every step of the way. We make disputing CoreLogic rental report errors easy…and FREE.