Posts Tagged ‘Credit Report’

Cozy launches Cozy Credit Reports and Experian Collaboration

Written by Landlord Property Management Magazine on . Posted in Blog

SAN FRANCISCO and PORTLAND, OR – February 4, 2014

Cozy, the company that makes renting easy for everyone, announced Cozy Credit Reports as a result of its collaboration with Experian, the leading global information services company. Cozy Credit Reports marks a true advancement in the the security and privacy of credit reports, as well as how credit data is purchased, controlled and used in the residential rental process by leveraging the Experian ConnectSM platform.

FOR RENTERS

SECURITY, PRIVACY & CONTROL

With Cozy Credit Reports renters never have to share their Social Security Number with a potential landlord again.

THE END OF APPLICATION FEES

Application fees are a thing of the past with Cozy Credit Reports. If a Cozy landlord ever requires a credit report as part of the application, the renter runs their own report, receives the results and can choose to share them with the potential landlord. If a landlord doesn’t require a credit report, there’s nothing to pay. All Cozy landlords are required to verify their identity to see a tenant’s credit report.

FOR LANDLORDS

One of the largest burdens for landlords is handling, storing and disposing of sensitive tenant information during and after the application process. Cozy Credit Reports alleviate that burden and save time, hassle and money.

At the click of a button, a landlord can request a prospective tenant’s credit report. The renter pays for his or her own credit report, is instantly identity verified by Experian , and maintains control of his or her sensitive information. Once the tenant shares the report with the landlord, the credit data the landlord needs for prospective tenants comes directly from Experian in real time , and is the most accurate, up-to-date data in the industry. All Cozy landlords are required to verify their identity before viewing a tenant’s credit report.

Learn more at www.cozy.co/credit-reports.

Collaborating with Experian

Regarding the collaboration, Cozy CEO Gino Zahnd said, “We’ve been working with Experian for 18 months to completely rethink how the rental application process should work. With our design leadership, they have been an incredibly supportive development partner. The Experian Connect team understands the important role credit plays in this industry and is providing a new way to empower both landlords and renters. With Cozy Credit Reports, this is a significant step forward for Cozy and for the Experian Connect platform, which is powering Cozy’s smoother and more efficient process.

Click Below to Preview Sample Reports:

Cozy-Tenant-Report Cozy-Landlord-Report

CozyCo_logo

About Cozy | www.cozy.co
Cozy makes renting easy for both landlords and renters. With elegant products for rent payments, rental applications and tenant screening, Cozy is the best way for small landlords and renters to get things done.

Founded in March 2012 and based in Portland, Oregon, Cozy’s mission is to radically change the rental real estate experience with a focus on beautifully designed products, transparency, privacy, and total control of one’s personal information.

Media contact:  press@cozy.co

How to Read Credit Reports from Each of the Three Bureaus

Written by Landlord Property Management Magazine on . Posted in Blog

credit-reportCan you say you’re completely confident reading each of the different credit reports with their key codes? If you are, this article can serve as a good training guide for your staff on the differences of each of the three credit bureau’s credit reports. Or in case your tenant screening company says they provide you with credit reports, when in reality they only provide you with credit summaries, these guides and codes will come in handy.

First and foremost: when reading a credit report, double check the person’s full name, social security number, and their date of birth. If there are any discrepancies, be sure to check with the applicant. Keep in mind that the information obtained in credit reports isn’t always perfect. The credit bureaus search for input information on two out of those three information fields mentioned above, to avoid human error. Credit bureaus can either input, or are sometimes given incorrect information.

Equifax and TransUnion Credit Report Quick Look Guide:

  •        Personal Information
  •        Report Summary
  •        Scorecards (if a score is given in the report)
  •        Collections (if the applicant has any)
  •        Public Records (if the applicant has any)
  •        Trade lines (this includes both loan and revolving debt payments)
  •        Inquiries (how many times a report has been pulled – and from whom)
  •        Warning Messages

TransUnion_CreditKeyEquifaxCreditKey

Experian Credit Report Quick Look Guide:

  •        Index
  •        Potentially Negative Items (public records, if the applicant has any)
  •        Credit Items
  •        Collections (if the applicant has any)
  •        Accounts in Good Standing
  •        Requests for Credit History
  •        Personal Information

ExperianCreditKey

The credit sections of each report use a different set of codes in order to keep the report short, when showing payment patterns. The starting dates for trade lines for Equifax and Experian begin in the month reported, while TransUnion’s begins on the payment pattern start date (see each code key below).

If your applicant believes an error has occurred in their report, advise them to contact the credit bureau directly (contact information is located below). When reviewing credit reports to determine if your applicant will be a good fit for your rental property make sure you know how to read them carefully, and always, always, always perform due diligence on the information you find.

Trans Union
P. O. Box 1000
Chester, PA. 19022
1-800-888-4213
http://www.transunion.com/personal-credit/credit-disputes/credit-disputes.page
 
Equifax
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
1-800-685-1111
https://experian.referral.equifax.com/CreditInvestigation/home.action
 
Experian
http://www.experian.com/credit-advice/topic-disputing-information.html 

ElizabethWhited Elizabeth Whited | Company Website | LinkedIn Connect |

Elizabeth is the Operations Coordinator at the Rent Rite Directory. She has written educational articles for multifamily magazines and Real Estate websites to help Property Managers and Owners improve their properties, and reduce crime in their communities.