Best Avail Alternatives (2026 Guide)

If you're a landlord, agent, or property manager in Texas, you've probably heard of Avail. Operated by Realtor.com, the platform was built for individual landlords and includes everything you need from listing pages to maintenance requests. For the purpose of this review, we will be evaluating their tenant screening feature and exploring some of the most popular screening alternatives—what makes them unique and how they work.

Updated for 2026 (Texas-focused). Last updated: Feb 2026.

Shortcomings of Screening with Avail

Avail has multiple screening packages and allows you to choose which rental screening reports you want to request from a prospective renter. Only a Full Screening package will give you results from a Nationwide Criminal and Eviction search, and their income verification process simply involves an applicant uploading either a W-2, pay stub, or offer letter to verify income.

In 2026, uploaded documents alone can be risky—pay stubs and offer letters can be edited (or generated) quickly. Many landlords now prefer verification workflows that reduce reliance on applicant-uploaded files and help confirm income from more reliable sources.

Here are 5 Avail alternatives every landlord and real estate agent should know.

1. Clara

Clara is a digital rental application and screening platform that provides a seamless experience for both renters and landlords. It collects, consolidates, and secures application information to help renters find their ideal homes and landlords find their ideal renters. For landlords, Clara helps reduce the risk of fraudulent applications and makes it easier to evaluate qualified renters with verified information.

Clara features:

• Digital rental application: Clara allows you to create and share an online application with potential renters.
  
  
• Identity and income verification: Clara partners with verification providers to help verify identity and income using secure methods.
  
  
• Credit history: Clara provides a TransUnion credit report summary that includes a renter's credit score, total credit lines, collections, and more.
  
  
• Background checks: Clara conducts an eviction search as well as a criminal history search across large record sets.
  
  
• References: When a renter adds a reference to their profile, Clara can automatically email them to request details. (Fix this in your CMS if the sentence is currently cut off.)

2. TransUnion SmartMove

SmartMove (TransUnion) is a tenant screening platform that gives landlords access to renters' credit, eviction, and criminal reports.

TransUnion SmartMove features:

• ResidentScore: A score built specifically to identify the likelihood of eviction better than a typical credit score.
  
  
• Credit history: SmartMove delivers credit reports direct from TransUnion.
  
  
• Criminal background & eviction checks: Eviction-related proceedings report and criminal records.
  
  
• Income Insights Report: Estimates total job and non-job related sources of income using a proprietary model verified against historical datasets.

3. RentPrep

A national tenant screening service located in Lancaster, NY, RentPrep provides landlords with a renter's credit, eviction, and criminal reports.

RentPrep features:

• Background reports: Hand-compiled tenant background checks by a team of FCRA Certified Screeners.
  
  
• Credit history: “Credit Decision Report” powered by TransUnion, with landlord-selected pass criteria.
  
  
• Income verification: Provides income verification tools to help landlords make more informed decisions. (More neutral than “most accurate” unless you can substantiate it.)

4. TurboTenant

TurboTenant is a popular platform for finding and managing tenants.

TurboTenant features:

• Credit score/report: Credit report from TransUnion to evaluate if the applicant meets your criteria.
• Criminal record: Criminal history search across large record sets.
• Past evictions: Eviction record checks (coverage varies by package and data availability).
• Income verification: Income Insights tool that cross-verifies applicant-reported income against TransUnion data.

5. AAOA

Easily screen tenants 24/7 with AAOA's tenant screening reports.

AAOA features:

• Credit report: Credit report and score options (varies by package).
• Criminal background check: Add-on to some screening packages.
• Past evictions: Nationwide eviction history typically requires the highest-tier package.
• Income estimator: Optional add-on Income Insights report (requires Basic Credit Report).

Next Steps

Now that you have a better understanding of the alternatives to Avail, you can make an informed decision about which tenant screening service best suits your needs.

Quick tip: Choose a screening workflow that verifies identity, verifies income using reliable sources, and applies consistent criteria to every applicant. The right tenant can make your life as a landlord much easier—so take the time to thoroughly screen your applicants.

Happy renting!
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