Tenant screening disclosures

Tenant screening & consumer reports

How EchoPM, Checkr, property managers, and applicants each play a role under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Last updated: June 29, 2026

EchoPM is not a consumer reporting agency

EchoPM, Inc. (EchoPM) provides property management software. Optional tenant screening on our platform is fulfilled by Checkr, an independent third-party screening provider. Checkr prepares consumer reports; property managers make rental decisions; we do not approve, deny, or recommend applicants for housing.

1. Who does what

Under the FCRA, companies that prepare or furnish consumer reports for housing decisions are generally treated as consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) or resellers. On EchoPM:

  • Checkr — Independent third-party vendor that obtains authorization, presents FCRA notices (including a Summary of Rights and any required state notices), and prepares screening reports. Checkr is affiliated with EchoPM only as a screening vendor—not as a joint housing provider or decision-maker.
  • Property managers — Order screening for a permissible housing purpose, review reports, and make rental decisions. They are responsible for fair housing compliance and for providing adverse action notices when required if they deny or condition tenancy based on a consumer report.
  • EchoPM — Technology platform that helps managers order screening, collect payment where configured, surface invitation/status links, and display limited screening metadata and vendor report links inside the application record. We do not act as a CRA and do not make housing eligibility decisions.

This model is similar to other property platforms that integrate a third-party screener: the platform organizes the workflow; the screener prepares the consumer report; the landlord decides.

2. What screening reports may include

Depending on the package the property manager orders (Starter, Essential, or Complete, plus optional Identity Protection), a Checkr screening may include items such as criminal background and registry/watchlist searches, soft credit information, eviction or related civil records, and screening identity verification (for example, ID and selfie on the Checkr report). Exact contents depend on the ordered package, jurisdiction, and Checkr's product coverage. Optional EchoPM account verification is a separate, skippable check of the EchoPM user and is not a consumer report.

County or court pass-through fees may apply separately from EchoPM list prices and are disclosed when Checkr bills them.

3. For applicants and tenants

Applying on EchoPM is free. Screening is optional unless a property manager requires it for their property. When screening is ordered, you typically complete consent and identity steps on Checkr's hosted flow—not by uploading a Social Security number into EchoPM.

Under the FCRA, you may have rights including:

  • Receiving disclosures before a consumer report is obtained
  • Authorizing the report
  • Obtaining a copy of your report and disputing inaccurate or incomplete information with the CRA that prepared it (Checkr)
  • Receiving an adverse action notice from the property manager if they take certain unfavorable actions based on a consumer report

To view or dispute information in a Checkr report, use Checkr's Candidate Portal and dispute process: candidate.checkr.com. Help articles: Dispute your report. EchoPM cannot edit Checkr report contents or resolve CRA disputes for you.

4. For property managers

If you order or use consumer reports through EchoPM, you must have a permissible purpose (housing), obtain required authorizations/disclosures (handled in Checkr's hosted flow for Checkr Tenant packages), and use reports only for that purpose.

EchoPM does not approve, deny, or recommend applicants. Composite scores or summaries in the product, if shown, are informational worksheets only. You remain solely responsible for rental decisions, consistent application of criteria, fair housing compliance, and FCRA adverse action notices when you deny an application, require a larger deposit or cosigner, increase rent, or take other unfavorable action based in whole or in part on a consumer report.

For federal guidance for landlords, see the FTC's Using Consumer Reports: What Landlords Need to Know. Also see our Fair Housing Statement.

5. What EchoPM stores

We store limited screening metadata needed to run the application workflow—for example order status, completion flags, summary indicators where returned, report links, and expiration dates. We do not store full Social Security numbers. Full consumer reports remain with Checkr or are accessed through vendor-provided links available to authorized property managers.

Details are in our Privacy Policy (tenant verification and screening) and Terms of Service.

7. Important limitations

This page explains how screening works on our platform. It is not legal advice, does not create additional rights beyond applicable law and our agreements, and does not replace Checkr's Authorization, Terms, Privacy Policy, Summary of Rights, or state-specific notices shown in Checkr's consent flow.

Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Property managers and applicants should consult counsel for advice about their specific situation.