Comparison

Settl vs LeaseRunner

Both Settl and LeaseRunner are renter-initiated portable screening profiles. But the verification methods are fundamentally different. Settl uses bank-direct income, biometric identity, and a soft pull credit check to build a fraud-resistant, multi-layer verified profile.

Get your Settl profile

The core difference

LeaseRunner verifies who you were: credit history, criminal records, eviction filings, rental database lookups. Settl verifies who you are right now: live bank income, current cash reserves, actual rent payments made from your account. Both are portable. But only one is fraud-resistant, biometrically verified, and valid for 30 days at any property.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature	Settl	LeaseRunner
Price One-time renter-paid fee. Both platforms are portable: pay once, share with multiple landlords.	$99 (one-time)	$41 (one-time)
Report validity window How long your report is valid for sharing. Both Settl and LeaseRunner give you 30 days, valid for unlimited landlord shares within that window.	30 days	30 days
Bank-verified income Income read directly from your bank account via Plaid, not a pay stub you submit. 84% of landlords regularly see fake pay stubs (NMHC 2024). Bank-direct cannot be faked.	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
Document-based income LeaseRunner accepts income documents submitted by applicants. These can be fabricated with AI tools in minutes. Settl bypasses documents entirely.	No	Yes
Verified cash reserves Shows how many months of rent you have saved. A tenant with 3–5 months of reserves can absorb a job change or emergency without missing rent. LeaseRunner does not surface savings.	Yes	No
Rent payment history from bank 12 months of actual bank transactions showing payments made to landlords, proof you paid, confirmed from the source. More reliable than eviction records.	Yes	No
Biometric identity + liveness check Your government ID is matched to your face in real time. LeaseRunner has no biometric liveness match. ID uploads can be a photo of someone else's document.	Yes	No
Credit report Settl includes a VantageScore 4.0 soft pull via TransUnion. Zero score impact. The credit tier and range are shown on your report (not the raw numeric score). LeaseRunner includes a credit report as well.	VantageScore 4.0 (soft pull, no score impact)	Yes
Criminal background check Settl includes national + county criminal background checks via CIC. State-specific lookbacks enforced (3–10 years depending on state). Arrest records never shown. Fair Housing Act individualized assessment notice included.	Yes	Yes
Eviction history check Settl includes 7-year eviction history via CIC. Dismissed and withdrawn filings are suppressed per FCRA. LeaseRunner also includes eviction records.	Yes	Yes
Rental history verification LeaseRunner checks rental history databases. Settl shows 12 months of bank-verified rent payments, direct proof, not a database lookup.	Bank-verified payments	Database lookup
Fake pay stub resistant Because Settl connects directly to your bank, there is no document to forge. LeaseRunner cannot verify whether submitted income documents are real or fabricated.	Yes	No
SSN shared with landlords LeaseRunner shares your SSN with each landlord who orders a report. Settl uses SSN internally for the soft pull credit check only. It is never shared with landlords or shown on your report.	No	Yes
FCRA compliance required Both Settl and LeaseRunner are FCRA consumer reports. Landlords using either must follow adverse action notice requirements. Settl operates a consumer-controlled model. You initiate the report, you share the code.	Yes	Yes
Verified rent ceiling You choose what income range to display , landlords see "Verified for rent up to $X/mo" rather than your exact income. Protects your financial privacy.	Yes	No
Household / co-applicant reports Settl combines multiple applicants into one Household Report with weighted combined income and a single shareable code. LeaseRunner is individual only.	Yes	No

The Real Differences

⏰ Validity: Both 30 days

Both Settl and LeaseRunner give you 30 days of valid at any property. Within that window, you can share your report with unlimited landlords at no extra cost. Settl adds bank-direct income, biometric identity, and a soft pull credit check, a more complete profile within the same validity window.

🏦 Bank-direct vs document income

LeaseRunner accepts income documents (pay stubs, and bank statements uploaded by the applicant. 84% of landlords regularly see fake pay stubs (NMHC 2024). Rental fraud is up 40% year-over-year. Settl connects directly to your bank. The income figure comes from your bank's own records. No document to forge.

🧬 Biometric identity vs none

LeaseRunner collects an ID upload, which can be a photo of someone else's document. Settl pairs the government ID with a biometric liveness check: the person completing verification must match the document in real time. Synthetic identities and fraudsters using borrowed credentials cannot pass Settl's identity step.

💰 Cash reserves: invisible to LeaseRunner

LeaseRunner shows credit, criminal history, and eviction records. It does not show savings. A tenant with 3–5 months of cash reserves is a fundamentally lower risk, able to absorb disruptions without missing rent. That buffer is what keeps tenancies stable. Settl is the only portable report that surfaces it.

⚖️ Fair Housing & FCRA legal exposure

LeaseRunner runs criminal background checks and eviction history. Both carry Fair Housing Act liability in dozens of cities and states. FCRA compliance (adverse action notices, written authorization, dispute rights) is the landlord's responsibility. Each violation carries $100–$1,000 in statutory damages. Both Settl and LeaseRunner are FCRA-regulated consumer reports. Settl includes criminal background and eviction history via CRS. Because Settl is consumer-controlled (you initiate the report, you share the code), tenants have full visibility and dispute rights built in.

🏠 Household reports for co-applicants

LeaseRunner is individual-only. If roommates apply together, landlords get separate reports and have to compare them manually. Settl's Household Report combines multiple applicants into one view: weighted combined income, total cash reserves, and a single shareable code starting with H-.

✅ 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.

📋 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.

Pricing Side by Side

Settl

Settl Verified Passport: $99

Biometric identity (KYC), bank-verified income ceiling, employer payroll + tenure, rent payment history, VantageScore 4.0 soft pull credit check (zero score impact), criminal + eviction background check. Valid for 30 days, unlimited landlords.

30-Day Renewal: $39

Already verified? Extend your acceptance window by 30 more days. Same code, no re-verification needed.

LeaseRunner

Portable Report: $41

Credit, background, rental history, eviction records. Renter-initiated. 30-day window. Unlimited shares within window.

LeaseRunner pricing as of March 2026. Subject to change.

Which Is Right for You?

Choose Settl if…

Your income is bank-deposited and verifiable
You have savings and want that to count
You want a fraud-resistant, bank-direct income profile with soft pull credit
Your SSN is never shared with landlords (used internally for soft pull only)
You are applying with roommates (Household Report)
Your landlord is in a city with criminal background check bans
You want biometric identity verification, not just an ID upload

LeaseRunner might work if…

You are in Colorado where the PTSR law applies (LeaseRunner specializes here)
You need a quick, lower-cost portable report
You plan to apply within 30 days and do not need a longer window
Your landlord specifically requests a credit + background report format

Ready to build a fraud-proof renter profile?

Bank-verified income. Cash reserves. Biometric identity. Soft pull credit check. 30-day validity. One code. Works with any landlord.

Get Settl Verified Passport

One report. Any landlord. Valid 30 days.

Apply to as many properties as you want. Update your settings before each new application. How it works →