RentalApplication.ai vs TransUnion SmartMove: which fits your screening?
SmartMove is TransUnion's own direct-to-landlord screening product; RentalApplication.ai is an FCRA reseller built on the same TransUnion credit data. Since the bureau data overlaps, the real comparison is everything wrapped around it: income verification, reference calls, adverse-action automation, and price.
At a glance
| RentalApplication.ai | TransUnion SmartMove | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-report price | $14.99–$34.99 (flat, per report) | Package pricing published by TransUnion; per-report bundles, applicant or landlord pays |
| Who pays | Either — landlord pays, or send a paid invite link to the applicant | Either party (landlord chooses) |
| Bundled software | None required | None — standalone screening product |
| Credit report + score | Yes — TransUnion soft pull, ResidentScore or FICO (+$5) | Yes — TransUnion direct, ResidentScore |
| Criminal & housing records | Coming soon | Yes |
| Bank/payroll income verification | Yes — Pinwheel payroll + identity (Pro and Premium) | Income Insights estimate derived from credit data; verify current capabilities with TransUnion |
| AI landlord reference calls | Yes — included on Pro and Premium | Manual — you call references yourself |
| À la carte (no forced bundle) | Yes | Yes — per-report packages |
Competitor details reflect publicly listed offerings as of mid-2026 and can change — confirm current pricing and features with TransUnion SmartMove directly. "Coming soon" marks RentalApplication.ai features held offline until their data integration ships; we don't sell reports we can't deliver yet.
Same bureau, different wrapper
Both products deliver TransUnion credit data with ResidentScore — the rental-specific score model. SmartMove is the bureau selling directly; RentalApplication.ai operates as a regulated FCRA reseller of the same underlying file. Data quality is therefore not the differentiator — workflow is.
What we add around the credit file
- Payroll-verified income, not an estimate. SmartMove's Income Insights infers income from credit data and flags mismatches. Our Pro and Premium tiers connect to the applicant's actual payroll or bank account through Pinwheel — confirmed employer, gross income, pay frequency, and a payroll-verified identity record. In 2026, with AI-generated paystubs everywhere, verified beats inferred.
- AI landlord reference calls. Our agent phones prior landlords, asks your questions, and returns a structured summary with sentiment. SmartMove leaves reference checks to you.
- Adverse-action automation. Decline an applicant and the FCRA §615 notice is generated for you — the compliance step most landlords miss. See our adverse-action guide.
- Document authentication and fraud checks. Premium adds AI document authentication and a TLO-based identity/synthetic-fraud check.
Where SmartMove currently has the edge
SmartMove ships criminal-record and eviction-related public-record searches today. Ours are held offline until our data integration goes live — we'd rather mark a feature "coming soon" than sell a report we can't deliver. If a criminal search is non-negotiable for you right now, SmartMove covers it; meanwhile our credit report's collections section still surfaces landlord charge-offs, the strongest single eviction predictor.
Who should pick which
- Pick SmartMove if you want the bureau-direct product and need criminal/eviction record searches in the report today.
- Pick RentalApplication.ai if you want the same TransUnion credit core plus verified (not inferred) income, AI reference calls, document fraud detection, and automated adverse-action letters — at a flat per-report price either side can pay.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the credit data the same as SmartMove's?
Both draw on TransUnion consumer credit data and the ResidentScore model. RentalApplication.ai receives it as a regulated FCRA reseller; TransUnion sells SmartMove directly. The underlying file for a given applicant is the same bureau data.
Does either service hurt the applicant's credit?
No — both use soft pulls for tenant screening. The applicant's score is unaffected.
How does income verification differ?
SmartMove's Income Insights estimates income from credit-file signals and tells you when to ask for proof. Our Pro and Premium reports verify income at the source — the applicant connects payroll or bank in about 60 seconds and we return confirmed employer, gross income, and pay frequency. See income verification.
Which is cheaper?
Pricing on both sides changes — TransUnion publishes current SmartMove package prices; ours are on the pricing page, flat per report with no subscription, and the landlord or the applicant can pay.
Run your first screening from $24.99
Credit, criminal, housing records, AI reference calls, and FCRA-compliant adverse-action templates. No subscription.