Comparison

Settl vs RentPrep

RentPrep offers human-verified background checks for landlords, but it is still landlord-ordered, SSN-required, and document-based. Settl puts the verified profile in your hands.

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The core difference

RentPrep is a tool for landlords. They order it, they own the report, you have no say. Settl is a tool for renters. You build it, you own it, you share it on your terms. Both aim to establish trust between landlords and tenants. Only one gives the tenant control over the process.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature	Settl	RentPrep
Price RentPrep is landlord-paid. The cost falls on the landlord. But the tenant still bears the privacy exposure and has no control over the process.	$99 (renter-paid, portable)	$21–$49 (landlord-paid)
Who initiates screening With RentPrep, the landlord orders your screening. You have no control over when it happens, what is requested, or who sees it.	Renter controls it	Landlord orders it
Portable profile Settl is renter-owned. Share one profile with any landlord. RentPrep reports are landlord-ordered per-application. You cannot reuse them.	Yes	No
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
Human-verified background check RentPrep's FCRA-certified screeners manually review reports before delivery. This adds a human check, but the underlying data is still criminal history and eviction records.	No	Yes
Income verification method RentPrep offers optional income verification for +$10. Document-based, submitted by the applicant. Settl connects directly to your bank. No document to forge.	Bank-direct (Plaid)	Document-based (+$10)
Verified cash reserves Shows how many months of rent you have saved. RentPrep does not surface savings at all, only income documents if the add-on is purchased.	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.	Yes	No
Biometric identity + liveness check Your government ID is matched to your face in real time. RentPrep uses SSN-based identity, no live biometric match, meaning synthetic identities can still pass.	Yes	No
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. RentPrep also includes eviction records.	Yes	Yes
Bankruptcy + judgments check RentPrep includes bankruptcy filings, judgments, and address history. These may be stale, inaccurate, or legally risky to act upon.	No	Yes
SSN required RentPrep requires your Social Security Number for the credit and background pull and exposes it to landlords. Settl uses SSN internally for its soft pull credit check only. Your SSN is never shared with landlords.	No	Yes
FCRA compliance required Settl is a registered Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) under FCRA §1681a(f). Compliance is built in — dispute rights, adverse action guidance, and required disclosures are all included in the Settl report. Landlords receive adverse action notice guidance directly in the report.	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

The Real Differences

💼 Landlord-ordered vs renter-owned

RentPrep is a service for landlords. They request it, pay for it, and receive the report. You, the tenant, have no access to what is shown. With Settl, you build your profile before you apply. You see exactly what landlords see. You choose what to share and when.

🏦 Bank-direct vs document-based income

RentPrep's optional income verification relies on documents submitted by applicants: pay stubs, bank statements, W-2s. 84% of landlords regularly see fake pay stubs (NMHC 2024). Rental fraud is up 40% year-over-year. Settl connects directly to your bank. No document to forge, no human screener to fool.

⚖️ 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.

💰 Cash reserves: invisible to RentPrep

RentPrep shows income, credit, and criminal history. It does not show savings. A tenant with 3–5 months of cash reserves can absorb a job loss, medical bill, or slow month without missing rent. That financial buffer is what keeps tenancies stable. It is invisible to RentPrep's report. Settl surfaces it directly.

🧬 Biometric identity vs SSN-based check

RentPrep's identity check is SSN-based, tied to credit bureau records, not a live biometric match. Settl pairs a 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.

📊 12 months of actual rent payments

RentPrep checks eviction records. Court filings that include dismissed cases, pandemic-era filings, and disputes that never went to judgement. Settl shows 12 months of bank-verified transactions to landlords: actual proof that rent was paid, on time, from a real account. One is backward-looking and noisy. The other is behavioral evidence.

✅ Fair Housing guardrails built in

Settl’s criminal background check enforces state-specific lookback periods and never shows arrest records. The individualized assessment notice required by the Fair Housing Act is built into every report. Financial behavior — income stability, savings, and actual payment history — is always the primary signal.

📋 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 (Argyle), rent payment history, VantageScore 4.0 soft pull credit check (zero score impact), criminal + eviction background check. Share with unlimited landlords. Valid 30 days.

30-Day Renewal: $39

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

RentPrep

Basic: $21

Criminal, eviction, address history. Landlord-paid, landlord-ordered.

Full Check: $38–$49

Credit + criminal + eviction. Human-verified by FCRA-certified screeners.

Income verification: +$10

Document-based. Not bank-direct.

RentPrep pricing as of March 2026. Subject to change.

Which Is Right for You?

Choose Settl if…

You want to own your verified profile, not have a landlord order it
Your income is bank-deposited and verifiable
You have savings and want that to count
You don't want to share your SSN
You are applying to multiple properties at once
Your landlord is in a city with criminal background check bans
You want the most fraud-resistant profile possible

RentPrep might work if…

Your landlord specifically requests a RentPrep report
The landlord is willing to pay for the screening
You have a strong credit history you want to highlight
You are comfortable with the landlord controlling the process

Ready to build a fraud-proof renter profile?

Bank-verified income. Cash reserves. Biometric identity. One code. Works with any landlord, no landlord-ordered report required.

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 →