Frequently asked
questions.
Getting Started
5 questions
How does the free trial work?
Sign up, add a card, and get a 14-day free trial of the Screen plan with 5 free screenings. You are not charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel any time before then. When you need more, choose the plan that fits your portfolio size.
How long does it take to set up my account?
You can be screening tenants within minutes. Sign up, add your first property with your rental criteria, and share the application link with prospective tenants. There's no complex onboarding or setup, just sign up and go.
Do I need to install any software?
No. TenantFort is a fully web-based platform that works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or phone. Your applicants can also apply from any device, no app downloads required.
Can I import my existing properties?
Yes. You can add properties manually through the dashboard, or contact our support team for bulk import assistance if you have a large portfolio. Each property can have its own rental criteria.
How do applicants submit their applications?
Each property gets a unique application link you can share via email, text, or your listing. Applicants fill out a guided multi-step form covering personal info, employment, rental history, and document uploads, all from their phone or computer.
Screening & AI
7 questions
What's included in a screening?
Each screening includes: AI vision review of every uploaded document (pay stub, bank statement, government ID, tax notice) for signs of tampering or fabrication; a check of what the applicant typed against what their documents say; automated employer and landlord verification by email; your own rental criteria shown beside the applicant's verified figures; an audit trail; and a PDF verification report. TenantFort does not score applicants or recommend a decision. Credit reports, criminal background reports and eviction history are not included.
How does the AI fraud detection work?
Uploaded documents, pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns, and IDs, are analyzed for font inconsistencies, mathematical errors, metadata anomalies, pixel-level manipulation, and patterns matching known fraud templates. The result is a list of fraud indicators with explanations, not a verdict. Flagged items are surfaced for your review so you can investigate further before making a decision.
What types of documents can applicants upload?
Applicants can upload pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, bank statements, government-issued photo IDs, proof of income letters, and other supporting documents. The AI processes PDFs, images (JPG, PNG), and common document formats.
Does TenantFort score applicants?
No. TenantFort checks what an applicant submitted: whether the documents show signs of alteration, whether the figures on them support what was typed on the form, and whether the employer and previous landlord confirm what was stated. It reports what it finds, beside your own criteria. It does not rate, rank or recommend. The decision is yours.
Can I set my own rental criteria?
Yes. Each property has its own criteria: the income you look for relative to rent, the rental history you want, and which verifications you require. TenantFort shows every applicant's stated and verified figures beside those rules, the same way for everyone. Applying them is yours to do; TenantFort does not score.
How long does a screening take?
Most screenings complete within minutes. Document fraud analysis runs as soon as documents are uploaded. The form-versus-documents check completes in seconds. The longest waits are usually employer/landlord verification responses by email, which depend on the recipient. End-to-end, most screenings finish under 10 minutes from application submission to verified documents.
What happens if the AI flags a document as potentially fraudulent?
Flagged documents are highlighted in the screening report with specific fraud indicators explained (e.g., "font mismatch detected in employer name" or "mathematical inconsistency in year-to-date totals"). You decide how to proceed, request replacement documents, ask for additional verification, or factor the flags into your decision.
Compliance & Fair Housing
5 questions
How does TenantFort help with Fair Housing compliance?
TenantFort keeps your written criteria beside every application, shows each applicant's verified figures the same way, and logs every check and decision in an audit trail you can pull on demand. That supports consistent treatment across applicants, but compliance is ultimately your responsibility: TenantFort does not provide legal advice, and you should consult a qualified attorney for your specific obligations under federal, state, and local fair housing laws.
Does TenantFort generate adverse action notices?
Not FCRA ones, because TenantFort does not pull consumer reports and nothing in its checks triggers that requirement. When you decline an applicant you write the reason in your own words, and TenantFort formats it as a decision notice and emails it to the applicant with their options to respond. If you separately obtain a credit or background report from a reporting agency, the FCRA adverse action notice for that report is your responsibility.
What is an adverse action notice and when do I need one?
An adverse action notice is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when you deny a rental application, or take other adverse action, based in whole or in part on information in a consumer report from a consumer reporting agency. It names the agency, says the agency did not make the decision, and explains the applicant's right to a free copy of the report and to dispute it. TenantFort's own checks are not consumer reports, so they do not trigger one; a credit or background report you buy elsewhere does.
Can TenantFort help if I'm audited for Fair Housing?
Yes. TenantFort keeps an audit trail showing, for every applicant, what was checked, what was found, which criteria were on file, and who decided what and when. You can pull it at any time to show how applicants for a property were treated.
Does the AI make the accept/deny decision for me?
No. TenantFort does not score applicants or recommend a decision. It verifies the documents, compares them with the application, runs the verifications you ask for, and reports what it finds beside your own criteria. You decide, and when you decline you write the reason.
Billing & Plans
6 questions
What plans are available?
We offer three plans: Screen ($99/mo, 20 screenings included) for AI-powered screening; Manage ($349/mo), which adds property management features like rent tracking, leases and maintenance; and Enterprise (from $799/mo) with API access, integrations, and dedicated support. Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial.
Can I upgrade or downgrade anytime?
Yes. Upgrade instantly and get prorated access to the higher tier's features. Downgrade at the end of your billing period. No long-term contracts, you can change or cancel your plan at any time.
What happens if I exceed my included screenings?
You'll be billed per additional screening at your tier's overage rate: $5/screening on Screen, $4/screening on Manage, and $3/screening on Enterprise. You'll always know your usage, the dashboard shows your screening count and remaining balance.
Do applicants pay for screenings?
That's configurable. You can absorb the screening cost as a business expense, or pass the fee to applicants as an application fee, depending on your market and local regulations. Many landlords pass the cost through as a standard application fee.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. All plans are month-to-month with no commitments. You can cancel anytime and retain access through the end of your billing period. We also offer annual billing with a discount for customers who prefer it.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit and debit cards through our secure payment processor, Stripe. Enterprise customers can also pay via invoice with net-30 terms.
Property Management
5 questions
What property management features are included in the Manage tier?
The Manage tier adds lease management (create, track, and manage leases with status workflows), automated rent collection with late fee tracking, maintenance request management with priority levels and vendor assignment, a vendor directory for your contractors, and a tenant portal where tenants can pay rent and submit maintenance requests.
How does rent collection work?
TenantFort generates monthly rent records for each active lease, tracks payments, automatically calculates late fees based on your lease terms, and flags overdue payments. You can record payments as they come in and see a complete payment history for every lease.
Can tenants submit maintenance requests online?
Yes. Through the tenant portal (Manage tier), tenants can submit maintenance requests with descriptions and photos, select priority levels and categories, and track the status of their requests. You can assign requests to vendors and update statuses as work progresses.
Does TenantFort handle lease agreements?
Yes. TenantFort provides full lease management with draft, active, expired, and terminated status workflows. Leases can be sent to tenants for in-app electronic signing (ESIGN Act / UETA compliant), countersigned by the landlord, and downloaded as a signed PDF. State-specific lease clause templates are included for all 50 states + DC, and move-in/move-out inspections are tracked on each lease.
Can I manage multiple properties?
Yes. TenantFort is designed for multi-property portfolios. Each property has its own screening criteria, leases, tenants, and maintenance history. The Enterprise tier adds cross-property analytics and a portfolio-level dashboard.
Security & Privacy
5 questions
How is my data protected?
All data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 and in transit using TLS 1.2+. We use row-level security for tenant data isolation, ensuring you can only access your own data. Role-based access controls and full audit logging provide additional layers of protection.
Who can see my applicant data?
Only you and authorized users in your organization. TenantFort uses row-level security so each organization's data is completely isolated. We never share, sell, or use your applicant data for any purpose other than providing our screening service.
Is TenantFort SOC 2 compliant?
SOC 2 compliance is on our near-term roadmap. We already follow SOC 2 principles in our architecture, encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, audit logging, and secure development practices. We'll announce our certification when complete.
How long is applicant data retained?
We retain screening data in accordance with FCRA requirements and applicable state laws. You can request data deletion for any applicant at any time through the dashboard. When an account is closed, all associated data is securely purged after the legally required retention period.
Can I control who in my organization has access?
Yes. Role-based access controls let you define who can view applications, run screenings, manage properties, and access billing. The Enterprise tier adds custom roles and permissions for more granular control, including SSO integration.