Comparison
Settl vs Cozy (Apartments.com)
Cozy was acquired by Apartments.com in 2019. Same per-application fees, same SSN requirement, same landlord-controlled model. Settl gives you ownership of your own profile.
Get your Settl profileSide-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Settl | Cozy / Apartments.com |
|---|---|---|
Who initiates it? Cozy/Apartments.com is landlord-ordered. You only apply after a landlord invites you. Settl lets you build your profile proactively and share it with any landlord on your own schedule. | Renter (you own it) | Landlord orders it |
Portable across properties? One Settl profile works with any landlord. Cozy/Apartments.com applications are locked to the property that invited you. You start fresh for every new listing. | Yes | No |
SSN required? Cozy/Apartments.com requires your Social Security Number for every screening, sharing it with each landlord. Settl uses SSN internally for its soft pull credit check only. Your SSN is never shared with landlords or shown on your report. | No | Yes |
Bank-verified income? Income read directly from your bank account, not a document you submit. 84% of landlords regularly see fake pay stubs (NMHC 2024). Bank-direct verification cannot be forged. | Yes | No |
Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio Settl calculates monthly debt obligations as a percentage of gross income and displays it on the report, color-coded from Excellent to Elevated. Tenant-controlled opt-in only. No other portable screening tool offers this layer. Subsidy holders are automatically excluded per source-of-income law. | Yes | No |
Verified cash reserves? How many months of rent you have saved. A tenant with 3–5 months of reserves can absorb a job loss or emergency without missing rent. | Yes | No |
Rent payment history from bank? 12 months of actual bank transactions proving rent was paid. Cozy/Apartments.com does not verify rent payment history from bank data. Landlords cannot confirm your track record. | Yes | No |
Cost per application With Settl you pay once and share with unlimited landlords. Cozy/Apartments.com charges $29–$45 per application. Apply to four properties and you have spent over $150. | $0 (pay once) | $29–$45 each time |
Works with private landlords? Most private landlords and small property managers do not use Apartments.com. Settl gives you a shareable link that works with any landlord. No platform required on their end. | Yes | Only on Apartments.com |
Turnaround How quickly your verified profile is ready to share. Good rentals move fast. Cozy/Apartments.com can take 1–3 days while Settl is ready in under 10 minutes. | < 10 minutes | 24–72 hours |
Privacy-first design? Settl applies bank-verified criteria to every applicant with no protected-class data involved. Cozy/Apartments.com relies on SSN-based credit data, which carries inherent privacy and Fair Housing exposure. | Yes | No |
Why This Matters to You
Platform Lock-In
Cozy/Apartments.com screening only works with landlords who list on their platform. Most private landlords, property managers, and small multifamily owners do not use it. Settl works with any landlord. You share a link, they click it.
Bank Data vs Documents
Cozy/Apartments.com uses TransUnion credit data and accepts uploaded documents. Settl connects directly to your bank via Plaid. No documents, no PDFs, no fraud risk. The income data comes straight from Chase, Wells Fargo, or whatever bank you use.
Per-Application vs Once
Every Cozy/Apartments.com application triggers a new fee. Apply to 4 apartments and you pay $120-180. With Settl, you pay once ($99) and share your verified profile with unlimited landlords for 30 days.
What Landlords Actually See
With Settl, landlords see verified income from your bank, 12 months of rent payments, cash reserves, and Settl Verified Passport. Not a credit score with medical collections from 3 years ago. Your actual financial reality, today.
The Real Differences
✔️ FCRA-compliant criminal background checks included
Settl includes national + county criminal background checks via CIC. State-specific lookbacks are enforced (3– 10 years depending on state). Arrest records are never shown. Fair Housing Act individualized assessment notices are built into every report.
💰 Cash reserves signal financial discipline
Savings behavior tells you something a credit score cannot: whether a tenant has a financial buffer. A tenant with 3–5 months of reserves can absorb a job change, a medical bill, or a slow month without missing rent. Last month's bank statement tells you more about stability than a decade-old record ever could.
📋 Payroll-verified directly from your employer
Settl connects directly to payroll providers like ADP, Gusto, Paychex, and thousands more, covering 170M+ U.S. workers. Employment and income are confirmed from two independent sources: your bank account and your employer's own payroll system. No pay stub required. No document to forge. Two data streams that must agree.
⚖️ FCRA compliance handled for you
Settl includes FCRA-compliant criminal background checks (national + county via CIC, state lookbacks enforced, no arrests shown) and 7-year eviction history. Fair Housing Act individualized assessment notices are built into the report. As a registered CRA under FCRA, Settl handles the compliance framework — the required disclosures and adverse action guidance are included in every report.
Stop paying per application.
Build a bank-verified renter profile once. Share it with every landlord. Soft pull only. SSN never shared with landlords. No platform lock-in.
Get your Settl profile