Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that gives you the right to know what Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) have on file about you, as well as outlining your right to dispute errors contained in your consumer file. It sets tight restrictions for CRAs about the circumstances under which a consumer report may be obtained and disclosed. The FCRA gives you the right to receive a free copy of your consumer file if you are denied credit, housing, employment or had any other adverse action as a result of information obtained from a consumer reporting agency. For additional information on the FCRA visit the Federal Trade Commission's Web site at www.ftc.gov.

What is a consumer reporting agency (CRA)?

A CRA is a company that gathers and sells information on how a consumer pays rent and bills, whether or not the consumer has a criminal or civil court record, or has filed for bankruptcy. For additional information on what a CRA does, see our Glossary of Terms.

Who is First Advantage SafeRent?

First Advantage SafeRent is a consumer reporting agency that provides information to the multi-family housing industry and to employers. Housing providers may obtain your consumer report to assist them in making leasing and employment decisions. Employers may obtain your consumer report to assist them in making employment decisions.

Does First Advantage SafeRent determine whether or not I'm approved?

No. First Advantage SafeRent does not make a decision regarding your application. We only provide our clients with consumer reports that they use as a tool in making their decisions to accept or decline applicants.

What is a consumer report?

A consumer report may contain information from public record sources, creditors, and other data furnished, which prospective housing providers and employers use to evaluate an applicant. A consumer report may also show whether or not a person has been sued, filed for bankruptcy, or has a criminal or civil court record. For additional information on consumer reports, see our Glossary of Terms.

What's in my First Advantage SafeRent consumer file?

A First Advantage SafeRent consumer file may include criminal and/or landlord-tenant records as well as rental performance history. As a reseller of credit reports, First Advantage SafeRent only resells credit bureau reports to its customers, as permitted under the FCRA, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and/or other applicable laws.

What is RegistrySCOREX^®?

RegistrySCOREX^® is a statistical model used to predict a potential renter's ability and willingness to pay rent according to lease terms and conditions. RegistrySCOREX^® takes into account a variety of factors, including your credit and landlord-tenant court history.

If I am declined at one property, will I be declined at all properties?

Not necessarily. Housing providers' criteria for approval vary by property. A decline at one property does not necessarily mean that you'll be declined at another property.

How can I obtain a copy of my consumer file?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are entitled to receive from a CRA one free copy of your consumer file in any twelve month period. You are also entitled to a free copy of your consumer file if you meet the following criteria:

• You have been notified of an adverse action or been denied housing or employment based on information in your consumer file within the past 60 days
• You reside in a state where you are entitled to more than one free copy in any twelve month period
• You suspect that your file may contain fraudulent information, or you are a victim of identity theft
• You are unemployed or you currently receive public assistance

To obtain a free copy from First Advantage SafeRent, please fill out a Consumer Disclosure Request Form. If you do not qualify for a free copy of your consumer file, you may obtain one for a nominal fee. See the Consumer Disclosure Request Form for relevant fees.

Why do I need to fill out a Consumer Disclosure Request Form?

A Consumer Disclosure Request Form gives us your permission to send you a copy of your consumer file and discuss the information contained in the file with you. To protect your file from identity theft, we cannot discuss any specific information in your consumer file until we have received your completed Consumer Disclosure Request Form.

Can I authorize someone else to receive or discuss information in my file?

If you choose, you may complete the Third Party Disclosure portion of the Consumer Disclosure Request Form which will enable us to discuss the information in your consumer file with another individual, such as a spouse or guardian. To protect your file from identity theft, we cannot discuss any specific information in your consumer file until we have received your completed Third Party Disclosure portion of the Consumer Disclosure Request Form.

How do I obtain the forms I need to request a copy of my consumer file?

If you have a printer, you can access forms from our Forms Page on this Web site. You may need to download and install a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to access the forms. If you do not have access to a printer, please call our automated consumer line toll-free at 888-333-2413. Be sure to follow the instructions and leave your name, address, phone number and social security number. We will gladly mail you the requested forms, usually within one business day of receiving your request.

Can I send my disclosure request to you via e-mail or fax?

Mail is the preferred method for sending your Consumer Disclosure Request Form to us to help ensure legibility. FAX disclosure requests are accepted if your Disclosure Request Form is complete with your signature and a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID, such as a valid driver’s license, non-driver’s license or passport. For your security, we do not accept forms via e-mail.

How do I dispute information contained in my First Advantage SafeRent consumer file?

If you believe court, landlord-tenant, and/or other information in your First Advantage SafeRent consumer file is inaccurate, please complete a Reinvestigation Form, include any supporting documentation, and mail it to us at:

First Advantage SafeRent, Inc.

c/o: Consumer Relations Department

7300 Westmore Rd., Suite 3

Rockville, MD 20850-5223

Upon receipt of your completed form, we will reinvestigate the disputed information, update verifiable information in your consumer file, and send you an updated copy of your consumer file within 30 days.

If you wish to dispute information contained in your credit bureau report, you may contact the credit bureau directly, or if the information was obtain by us and is in our database, you may request that we enter a dispute on your behalf with the credit bureaus.

How do I dispute information contained in my credit bureau report?

If you find inaccurate information in your credit bureau report, such as credit and loan payment information or bank account balances, you may contact the credit bureau(s) directly to update your information.

Because First Advantage SafeRent is a reseller of credit reports from the three major credit bureaus, we can only enter a dispute on your behalf with the credit bureau(s) if your credit bureau report was obtained by us.

Someone else has been using my identity. What do I do?

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should contact the credit bureau(s) for information on how to place a fraud alert or file block on your consumer credit file. To place a fraud alert or security freeze on your First Advantage SafeRent file, please call our automated consumer phone line, toll-free at 1-888-333-2413 and follow the instructions carefully. Additional information on identity fraud may be found on the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft, including but not limited to "Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft," which can be found at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idtheft.htm.

Do I have to pay a fee to obtain information in my report?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are entitled to one free copy of your consumer file from a CRA in any twelve month period. You are also entitled to a free copy of your consumer file if you meet the following criteria:

• You have been notified of an adverse action or been denied housing or employment based on information in your consumer file within the past 60 days
• You reside in a state where you are entitled to more than one free report in any twelve month period
• You suspect that your file may contain fraudulent information, or you are a victim of identity theft
• You are unemployed or you currently receive public assistance

To obtain a free copy from First Advantage SafeRent, you must fill out a Consumer Disclosure Request Form. If you do not quality for a free copy of your consumer file, you may obtain one for a nominal fee. See the Consumer Disclosure Request Form for relevant fees.

FACTA required creation of a centralized service for eligible consumers to request free annual credit file disclosures from nationwide credit bureaus. The three major nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) established access for consumers to this centralized service using one of the following options: