- Tenant Report
- 6 Minute Read
How SingleKey’s ID Verification Accelerates Tenant Screening
Key Takeaways
- The ID Verification is a feature of SingleKey's tenant screening process. When ordering a Tenant Report, you can request applicants to confirm their identity by providing a government-issued ID and taking a live selfie.
- The ID Verification performs five checks to verify a potential tenant's identity: name match, date of birth match, photo ID review, selfie review, and side-by-side comparison of the photo ID and selfie.
- SingleKey's ID Verification tool is powered by AI, ensuring accurate, reliable results. The verification process is simple, fast, and secure, with results delivered straight to your Single account.
Updated on Apr 8, 2026
Knowing who you’re renting to is vital as a landlord, as identity fraud is a persistent problem in the rental industry. Inviting a tenant to live on your property based on false information can lead to costly legal and financial consequences, including property damage and lost rent payments.
SingleKey’s ID Verification feature can help you avoid these risks. This AI-powered tool allows you to analyze IDs quickly and accurately, giving you the confidence to determine whether documents provided by a potential tenant are genuine.
What is the ID Verification feature?
SingleKey’s ID Verification is an online tool that helps you confirm the identity of potential tenants. It uses a series of automated checks to determine whether the person applying to be your tenant is who they say they are.
The ID Verification is part of SingleKey’s tenant screening process, which includes a credit check, employment verification, landlord references, and other features. These screening tools are available in the Tenant Report, a comprehensive document that gives you the information you need to choose the best tenants.
How does the ID Verification work?
Upon ordering the Tenant Report, you can invite your applicant to complete an online rental application. After completing the application, they will be asked to upload a photo of a government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, and take a live selfie.
SingleKey collects and analyzes the ID and selfies using AI-powered software to determine their authenticity. It examines the documents for discrepancies and signs of tampering to ensure they’re valid and match the information in the rental application.
Once the ID verification process is finished, you’ll receive a report that confirms the tenant’s identity or flags issues that may indicate fraud.
What type of information does the ID Verification check for?
The ID Verification tool performs five checks on the applicant’s ID and selfie. Each check results in either a pass or a fail.
Name match
This test checks whether the name on the ID matches the name on the rental application.
Date of birth match
This test verifies if the date of birth on the ID is consistent with the date of birth on the rental application.
Valid ID
This test verifies the authenticity of the ID by using OCR (optical character recognition) technology to extract and compare data. The machine learning algorithms analyze security features like holograms, scan barcodes, review facial features, and cross-reference details with databases. These combined methods ensure that the ID presented is genuine and not counterfeit.
Valid selfie
The selfie check uses facial recognition and liveness detection to ensure the selfie was taken in real time. It analyzes facial features, adjusting for lighting and angles as needed, to provide immediate feedback on the match. This process confirms the identity of the person presenting the ID.
Selfie matches ID photo
This test detects if the facial features in the selfie match those on the ID.
Screen applicants thoroughly with credit, background, and income verification—so you reduce risk, avoid surprises, and protect your rental income.
What are the benefits of using SingleKey for tenant verification?
Confirming a tenant’s identity spares you from many of the pitfalls landlords face when vetting tenants. Here are some of the benefits of using SingleKey’s ID Verification to get the job done:
Reduces the risk of fraudulent rental applications. Today’s technology allows dishonest tenants to create fake IDs that look remarkably genuine, making them harder than ever to detect. The ID Verification software offers a level of fraud detection that’s hard to achieve on your own, greatly reducing your risk of signing a lease with a scheming tenant.
Save time by automating a manual process. There’s no tedious paperwork involved in confirming an applicant’s identity. Tenants submit their IDs and selfies online, and the algorithms do all the work in the background to determine if they’re genuine. Once complete, the results of the analysis appear in your SingleKey account.
Convenient and discreet for tenants. Applicants can verify their identity privately and at their own time using their phone or computer. No in-person meeting is required to take a picture and run the ID check.
Delivers results fast. ID verification only takes a few minutes for potential tenants to complete, allowing you to move quickly with your screening.
Enables legal accountability. Suppose a dispute arises with your tenant, and you must take legal action. In that case, you can be confident knowing you have their correct information to file the required court documents.
Peace of mind. Choosing the right tenant is a massively important decision—it can make or break your rental business. You’ll feel more at ease and rest easy at night, knowing the person living on your property has passed a thorough identity check.
FAQ: SingleKey’s ID Verification Tool
The ID Verification tool allows applicants to upload the following types of government-issued IDs, including driver license, passport, national ID, healthcare insurance card, passport card, permanent resident card, and tribal ID.
No. ID Verification is included in SingleKey’s Tenant Report, which provides credit and background checks, landlord references, and other screening tools. You must purchase this report to have access to the ID verification feature.
No, ID verification is an optional step that applicants can complete once they submit their online rental application. However, since doing an ID check enhances their credibility, most applicants will take the time to do it. SingleKey’s internal data shows that 97% of tenants complete the ID verification step.
Applicants who don’t own a smartphone can take a selfie using their computer’s camera.
SingleKey’s ID Verification will automatically reject any picture of an ID where the details are not clear enough to read. Applicants can reupload ID images as needed until one is accepted.
Once the ID Verification process is complete, SingleKey compiles the results into a report, which you can find by logging in to your SingleKey account and navigating to “Tenant Report” from the top menu. The ID Verification results will appear in the Tenant Report that you ordered.
Our final thoughts
As a landlord, ensuring your rental is in safe hands is one of your top priorities. Therefore, being mindful of fake IDs and how to spot them is necessary when screening possible tenants. SingleKey’s ID Verification offers a simple, accurate, and fast way to confirm an applicant’s identity. It reduces the risk of identity fraud and adds another layer of protection for your property, all without compromising privacy or security.
Using AI-powered tools to catch forged IDs is one way of reducing your chances of becoming a victim of a rental fraud scheme. But there are others as well. Learn how SingleKeys protects you against rental fraud with comprehensive credit checks.
Learn more about Tenant Report
Learn more about Tenant Screening Report
