Best TurboTenant Alternatives (2026 Guide)

If you're a landlord, agent, or property manager, you've probably heard of TurboTenant. The platform was built for individual landlords and is popular across the country. For the purpose of this review, we’ll evaluate TurboTenant’s tenant screening feature and explore some of the most popular screening alternatives—what makes them unique and how they work.

Updated for 2026 (US). Last updated: Feb 2026.

Shortcomings of Screening with TurboTenant

TurboTenant does a great job with their credit report and criminal & eviction reports, but their income insights tool simply cross-verifies income reported by applicants against income data from TransUnion.

In 2026, that’s a meaningful limitation because income fraud is easier than ever (including edited or AI-generated documents). Many landlords now prefer verification methods that pull income directly from payroll or employer-connected sources—rather than relying on applicant-entered numbers.

Here are 5 TurboTenant 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 identify qualified renters with verified information.

Clara features:

• Digital rental application: Create and share an online application with potential renters.
• Identity and income verification: Clara partners with verification providers to help confirm identity and income using secure, modern methods.
• Credit history: TransUnion credit report summary including credit score, total credit lines, collections, and more.
• Background checks: Eviction search plus 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. (Finish this sentence in your CMS if it’s currently cut off.)

Why landlords choose Clara in 2026: a smoother applicant experience + stronger verification workflows designed to reduce fraud and manual back-and-forth.

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 designed to predict eviction risk better than a typical credit score.
• Credit history: Credit reports direct from TransUnion.
• Criminal background & eviction checks: Eviction-related proceedings report plus 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 checks by a team of FCRA Certified Screeners.
• Credit history: “Credit Decision Report” powered by TransUnion, with landlord-selected pass criteria.
• Income verification: Provides access to income verification tools to help landlords make more confident decisions. (If you can’t verify “most accurate income data available,” keep it more neutral like this.)

4. Avail

Operated by Realtor.com, Avail offers customizable online rental applications and screening tools to help you select the right tenant.

Avail features:

• Renter profile: Applicant details like date of birth, contact info, pet details, and more.
• Residential history: Residence history plus landlord contact information.
• Automated reference checks: Automatically emails previous landlords.
• Employment and income verification: Helps verify income and current employment using the information provided through the platform.

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 TurboTenant, you can make an informed decision about which tenant screening service best suits your needs.

Quick tip for 2026: Choose a screening workflow that (1) verifies identity, (2) verifies income using reliable sources, and (3) applies consistent criteria to every applicant. The right tenant can make your life as a landlord much easier—so take the time to screen thoroughly.

Happy renting!

‍