Individuals — Credit Checks On

You cannot legally check someone's credit without a "permissible purpose" (e.g., as a landlord, employer, or lender) and their explicit cooperation.

: You must get written permission from the individual before requesting their credit report.

: Services like Triton or BiggerPockets (for landlords) streamline the process by sending a link to the individual. The individual then enters their sensitive info and may pay the fee themselves. 3. Analyze the Credit Report

Most individuals cannot pull a full credit report directly from bureaus without using a third-party screening service that verifies your business or identity first.

Under regulations like GDPR or the Fair Credit Reporting Act, accessing this data without consent is illegal and punishable by fines.

For landlords, this is often part of the Rental Application .