Tenant Screening Cost Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the tenant screening cost calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Use the Tenant Screening Cost Calculator

Formulas Used

Net Screening Cost

net_screening_cost = total_screening_cost - total_fees_collected

Total Screening Cost

total_cost = total_screening_cost

Application Fees Collected

fees_collected = total_fees_collected

Cost Per Applicant

per_applicant_cost = cost_per_applicant

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
num_applicantsNumber of Applicants5
credit_check_costCredit Check Per Applicant(USD)25
background_check_costBackground Check Per Applicant(USD)20
eviction_check_costEviction History Check(USD)10
application_fee_chargedApplication Fee Charged(USD)50
cost_per_applicantDerived value= credit_check_cost + background_check_cost + eviction_check_costcalculated
total_screening_costDerived value= cost_per_applicant * num_applicantscalculated
total_fees_collectedDerived value= application_fee_charged * num_applicantscalculated

How It Works

Tenant Screening Costs

Thorough tenant screening protects against problem tenants and typically costs $30-$75 per applicant.

Components

  • Credit check: TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax report ($20-$40)
  • Background check: Criminal history search ($15-$30)
  • Eviction check: Court records for prior evictions ($5-$15)
  • Income verification: Employment and income confirmation (often free)

    • Recovering Costs

    Landlords may charge application fees to offset screening costs, subject to local law limits.

    Worked Example

    5 applicants screened at $25 credit + $20 background + $10 eviction, with $50 application fee charged.

    num_applicants = 5credit_check_cost = 25background_check_cost = 20eviction_check_cost = 10application_fee_charged = 50
    1. 01Cost per applicant: $25 + $20 + $10 = $55
    2. 02Total screening cost: $55 x 5 = $275
    3. 03Application fees collected: $50 x 5 = $250
    4. 04Net screening cost: $275 - $250 = $25

    Ready to run the numbers?

    Open Tenant Screening Cost Calculator