A Guide to Reading TransUnion’s Credit Report

A step-by-step guide to reading a completed TransUnion credit report

TransUnion will verify that the applicant's information matches the SSN or ITIN that was provided.
The applicant will answer 3-5 verification questions about their credit history that they must answer 100% correctly
If the information and questions are correct, you will see the SSN Match message on the top right of the report

View basic information about each applicant, including first and last name, addresses, and employers
You should always double-check to make sure the name on the credit report is the same name listed on the rental application
The information included under "Employer" and "Current Address" is based on public records and will be the most updated information TransUnion has for the applicant

The ResidentScore is a credit score designed by TransUnion specifically for residential leasing
It is very similar to a traditional credit score, except it uses improved logic to match applicant history with the likelihood of eviction
The score ranges from 350-850 and makes it easy to determine the amount of risk associated with renting to an applicant
Score Factors are included to let you know the reasons why the score has been impacted

This is the date that the report was first pulled, so you can keep tabs on how current the information is
After 30 days, the reports are no longer deemed valid and will not be accessible from RentSpree's dashboard
If you would like to access the report beyond 30 days, you will need to print or save it to your computer as a PDF

With the Profile Summary, you can get a quick overview of the items on the credit report:

It also provides an overview of derogatory items:

Negative Trades - Accounts which are currently delinquent or derogatory. This shows you any credit-harming behavior such as paying bills late or having debts in collection
Trade lines with any Historical Negative - Total number of accounts that have ever been delinquent or derogatory, but either have been paid in full or are now current
Occurrence of Historical Negatives - Total count of all delinquency occurrences that appear on the report

Here you can see the count and types of all tradelines listed on the credit report. It will show all active accounts and credit lines:

In addition, you can see a summary breakdown of all tradeline types:

Revolving tradelines are accounts where a balance can be paid off in full or carried over month-to-month
- This includes credit cards, home equity line of credit, and more
Installment tradelines are accounts where the balance is paid off over time, such as auto loans, mortgages, and student loans
Open tradelines are accounts that are a hybrid of revolving and installment
- Typically utilities, these are accounts where the balance may change, but payment is required to continue services

This section shows tradeline totals such as count, balance total, credit limit, and any past-due amounts

A variety of details are provided for each tradeline:

Any previous inquiries that were made into the applicant's credit history
There are two types of inquiries, hard ones and soft ones
- Hard inquiries are initiated by the applicant when they fill out a credit application
- Soft inquiries come from companies that want to pre-screen for credit offers, potential employers, or current creditors monitoring the applicant's account

Collections are accounts where the applicant has not made payments for a substantial amount of time. The original lending institution then sells the debt to a collection agency, who attempts to collect the debt from the applicant. If they are still unsuccessful, the debt usually gets charged off as bad credit, which is something to avoid. Under the collections section, you will find:
Name of the collection agency
Current balance (amount due)
Original balance
Whether the account is open or closed
Last reported date (date information was reported to the bureau)
Industry type (type of lender/collections)
Loan type/term
Status (usually whether or not the account is still with the lender or if it has been sent to a collections agency/charged off)
Remarks (whether the account has been disputed, charged off, etc.)
Opened date (when the account was reported as opened)
Closed date (when the account was reported as closed, if applicable)
Paid-out date (the date the account was paid off)
Verified date (the date the debt was verified as belonging to the applicant)

Public records that can appear on your credit report include any bankruptcy, judgment, or tax lien. In some states, foreclosure and repossession are also included in public records.