Zillow Background Checks: Everything You Need to Know

Zillow is a well-known online real estate marketplace and search platform. The Zillow website provides curious visitors with comprehensive information about properties for sale and rent, properties recently sold, and estimated prices of homes that are neither for sale nor recently sold. Zillow has revolutionized how people interact with real estate by offering a user-friendly platform that collects property listings from multiple sources, including real estate agents, property managers, and homeowners.

There’s More to Zillow

In addition to serving homebuyers and sellers, Zillow is also a resource for tenants searching for apartments. Renters can filter listings based on their preferences, such as price range, number of bedrooms, and pet policies. The platform’s comprehensive rental listings include information on amenities, lease terms, and nearby schools and public transportation, helping tenants find the perfect place to call home.

Landlords and property managers use Zillow for various property management services. The platform offers tools for conducting background and credit checks on potential tenants, ensuring that landlords can make informed decisions about whom to rent their properties. Additionally, Zillow provides tenant signing services that streamline the leasing process by allowing landlords to manage lease agreements and collect rent payments online.

The consumer protection attorneys at Consumer Attorneys also know Zillow. This article is about Zillow background checks and Zillow credit checks and what happens when those Zillow background and credit checks contain errors and inaccuracies. As you might expect, an error in a Zillow background check can have devastating effects for the tenant on whom that background check was conducted. 

That’s where we come in.  

The Company

Zillow was founded in 2006, and in the past two decades, it has become one of the most popular real estate websites in the United States. The company provides a platform where users can buy, sell, and rent properties. 

While most people use Zillow to view real estate prices and track sales trends, many rely on it for their business. Homebuyers and sellers rely on Zillow to access up-to-date listings, compare property values, and analyze market conditions. The platform’s interactive maps, detailed property descriptions, high-quality photos, and virtual tours make it easy for users to explore homes and neighborhoods from the comfort of their devices. Zillow’s Zestimate tool, which estimates the market value of properties, is particularly popular among users looking to gauge the worth of their homes or prospective purchases.

Zillow also offers tools and services to help landlords and tenants manage rental properties more efficiently.

Zillow’s property management services include:

• Property listings
• Preparing and processing rental applications
• Tenant screening
• Real estate market data
• Mortgage and financial tools

Zillow acts as a bridge between renters and landlords. It offers a platform where landlords can list their rental properties, and tenants can find suitable homes. Zillow provides various tools to facilitate this process, including background checks and credit checks.

Zillow uses CIC (Contemporary Information Corporation, Inc.) for its background checks. It uses Experian for its credit checks. 

The Tenant Screening Process

One of Zillow’s key services is tenant screening. This includes running background checks and credit checks on potential tenants. This helps landlords and property managers make informed decisions about to whom they rent their properties. Landlords and property managers want tenants who are reliable, responsible, honest, creditworthy, and non-threatening to the other tenants. 

Background checks are crucial to creating and maintaining a safe and reliable rental environment. A Zillow background check through CIC will verify the identity of tenant applicants as well as reveal their rental history along with any criminal background. Conducting background checks also helps landlords comply with legal and business requirements. It ensures that they are taking reasonable steps to protect their property and other tenants.

While this process minimizes the risk of renting to individuals with a history of non-payment, property damage, or criminal behavior, it increases the risk of excluding or denying acceptable tenants because of an error in the background check. 

What's in a Zillow Background Check

A Zillow rental background check typically includes the following components:

• Identity verification
• Rental history
• Credit check
• Criminal background check

The Zillow credit check component of a Zillow background check assesses the applicant's financial responsibility. It includes information such as:

• Credit score
• Payment history
• Outstanding debts
• Bankruptcies and foreclosures

The Zillow criminal background check looks for any past criminal activities. This includes:

• Arrest records
• Convictions
• Pending charges
• Sex offender registry status

We will look at each of these components of a Zillow background check in greater detail.  

Identity Verification

Identity verification ensures that the applicant is who they claim to be. This involves checking the applicant's social security number, date of birth, and other identifying information against official records.

Rental History

The rental history check looks at the applicant's previous rental experiences. It includes:

• Previous addresses
• Length of residence at each address
• Landlord references
• Eviction history

Credit Check

The credit check is an essential part of the screening process. It helps landlords gauge the applicant's financial reliability. A high credit score indicates a low risk of non-payment, while a low score might be a red flag.

Criminal Background Check

A thorough criminal background check is conducted to ensure the safety of the property and other tenants. This check includes:

• National, state, and local criminal databases
• Sex offender registries
• Terrorist watch lists

Laws regarding how far back in time the Zillow background check, especially the criminal background check portion, can look varies form state to state. The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys can assess the legality of the Zillow background check when you speak with them. 

The Law and the Zillow Background Check

Even though it is not strictly a consumer reporting agency (CRA), the Zillow background checks must comply with a federal law called the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA sets guidelines for conducting background checks and ensures that tenant applicants’ rights are protected. Key FCRA requirements include:

• Zillow, on behalf of the landlord or property manager, must obtain the applicant's consent before running a background check
• Zillow must provide the applicant with a copy of the background check report if Zillow takes an adverse action against the applicant, i.e., not renting the property to them, as a result of the background checks
• The background check company must provide a way for the applicant to dispute any inaccuracies in the report

While Zillow is not always absolved from liability, it is the background check company that is responsible for ensuring that the information in its background checks is accurate and up-to-date. The background check company must take reasonable steps to verify the data it collects and address any errors promptly.

Common Issues with Zillow Background Checks

This Zillow background check report serves as a decision-making tool for landlords. It helps them evaluate potential tenants' suitability based on their financial reliability, rental history, and criminal background. Therefore, when an issue arises in a Zillo background check, it means that the tenant applicant will not be allowed to rent a home which presents big problems for that tenant applicant. 

Despite their importance, background checks can sometimes contain errors. Common issues include:

• Incorrect criminal records
• Outdated or inaccurate credit information
• Mistaken identity

Errors in any component of a Zillow background check can have significant consequences for applicants. They might be unfairly denied housing, which can lead to financial and emotional distress. It does not matter how big or how small the error might seem - if a landlord or property manger is not evaluating an accurate picture of the tenant, the tenant is being treated unfairly. 

What to Do If You Encounter Problems

If you believe there is an error in your Zillow background check, take the following steps:

• Request a copy of the report. Under the FCRA, you have the right to see the information that was used against you. Additionally, the FCRA says that background check companies must give people one free report every year. If you anticipate moving in the near future, it might be a good idea to contact Zillow and request a background check report to review it before they do. 
• Identify inaccuracies. Review the report carefully to identify any incorrect or outdated information. As stated above, any error - even a small misspelling or one false extra credit card or one inaccurate missed rental payment - can result in huge problems.  
• Dispute the errors. Contact Zillow and the background check provider to dispute the inaccuracies. The background check attorneys have decades of experience doing this and can help you draft a letter, identify evidence to support your claim, follow up with Zillow and the background check company, and be ready to take additional action if Zillow or the background check company does not follow the FCRA. 

Background Check Attorneys Can Help

You may have legal recourse if you have suffered damages due to errors in a Zillow background check. The lawyers at Consumer Attorneys can help you:

• Understand your rights under the FCRA
• Dispute incorrect information
• Seek compensation for any harm caused by the errors

In cases where Zillow's background check errors have caused significant harm, you might consider suing. A consumer protection attorney can guide you through the process and help you:

• File a complaint with the appropriate regulatory agencies
• Initiate a lawsuit for damages
• Negotiate a settlement
• Go to trial

Zillow background checks are a crucial part of the rental process. Zillow help landlord minimize their liability by making decisions based on the data in the Zillow background checks. However, errors in these checks can cause significant harm to applicants. 

This article identifies your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. To help you stand up for your rights and get the compensation you deserve, contact Consumer Attorneys. We can help protect your rights, ensure that background check errors do not unfairly impact your rental prospects, and help get you the compensation you deserve.