How to: Order a SingleKey Credit and Background Check Report

Published on Mar 7, 2023 | Updated on May 8, 2025

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SingleKey offers one of the fastest and most comprehensive tenant credit and background check reports available in both Canada and the US.
To get started, either:


Method #1: Click the “Order new report” button, located at the top right corner of the Tenant Report page after you create your account.

Method #2: Learn more about the Tenant Report on this page, and click “Start screening” located at the top of the page once you’re ready to run your first report.

Method #3: Click here

When you click “Order new report,” a pop-up modal will appear, prompting you to choose which credit bureau you’d like to use. You’ll have four options to pick from:

  • International Credit Report
  • Dual Bureau Report (which includes both Equifax and TransUnion)
  • Equifax
  • TransUnion

Don’t worry—if you change your mind, you can easily update your selection on the payment page before finalizing your order.

Next, select how you’d like to order a report. There are two ways, which are explained in this support article:

Method #1: Invite Tenant – Invite an applicant to fill out the application form
Method #2: Enter Tenant Information – enter the tenants’ details and get a report back in under 5 minutes

1. Invite tenant

To get started, click the “Create invite” button located on the Invite Tenant card.

On the firsr step, you will be asked to enter the applicants first name, last name, email address, and phone number. This information will be used to send an email invite to the tenant to complete the rental application.

Checking the “This invite is for a co-signer/guarantor” checkbox will remove questions from the application that are not relevant to a guarantor, like pets or vehicle info.

You can also add on up to 5 co-applicants to send an invite to together.

You also have the ability to select which parts of the rental application form are required to be completed on the rental application, such as:

  • Proof of income upload
  • PDF documents only – this will allow us to verify the tenant’s proof of income documents for fraud or tampering, which is not possible with image files.
  • Employment references
  • Landlord references
  • ID upload

If any of these options are left unchecked, they will be set as optional.

Next, you will be asked to enter the rental unit the applicant is interested in, as well as select if you are requiring tenant insurance for the application. If tenant insurance is required, we will inform tenants during the application phase and provide insurance offers from our insurance partners.

On the third and final step, you’ll be asked if you’d like to push the cost of the Tenant Report on to the tenant, or if you’d like to pay for it yourself. If you select “Tenant”, your applicant will be asked for their credit card information at the end of their rental application.

You’re also given the option to order an international tenant report on this step. If the applicant is new to the country, or has been residing in the US or Canada for less than 1 year, select the International credit option. This will allow you to get their credit history from their country of origin in the same North American Credit Report Format that you’re familiar with.

Before paying for your report, confirm your credit bureau preference. This will default to the bureau selected on the modal in Step 1, however you can select from:

  • Dual Bureau Report (which includes both Equifax and TransUnion)
  • Equifax
  • TransUnion

You’ll also be given the option to add on an automated Landlord or Reference check. Our experienced team contact the landlord or employer reference provided by the tenant on their rental application, saving you time. Most reference checks are completed the same day.

We persistently follow up until we receive a response, and landlords tend to be more forthcoming with us than with other landlords. Our expertise allows us to ask the right questions, ensuring we get truthful answers and identify any potential tenant red flags. We also provide a voice recording of the reference conversation for you to review at your convenience.

Once you’ve completed your tenant report order, a rental application invite will be emailed to your tenant. The tenant report will appear on your Tenant Reports home page and appear as an “Invite sent” status until the rental application is complete. You may send your applicant a reminder to complete the application at any time, by clicking on the “Send reminder” button on the far right of a row.

Once your tenant has completed their rental application, their Tenant Report will be ready to view and will appear as such on your Tenant Reports home:

Providing landlord and employment references as well as uploading additional documents is an optional part of the form. The landlord can request that specific parts of the application become a required field by clicking “+ Additional Options”. This means that the applicant won’t be able to submit or complete the form without also adding the selected documents or completing the required fields

2. Enter tenant information

The second way to order a report on a prospective tenant is by entering their information directly into the order form and having a report generate within a few minutes. This is the best option for landlords who have collected an applicant’s information and consent, or who use rental application, pre-screening form or collect applicant driver’s licences.

To get started, click the “Enter Info” button at the bottom of the card

Next, you fill out the form with the tenant’s information. Note that some fields of the application are required to proceed. The information that is required to order a report is the following:

  • Applicant legal first and last name
  • Applicant’s email addres
  • Applicant date of birth, and
  • Applicant current address

Note that the drivers’ licence and SIN/SSN number fields are optional but greatly increase our ability to collect information.

You may also upload the tenant’s proof of consent and their ID on this step. To add up to 5 more co-applicants, click “Add another applicant”.

Next, you will be asked to enter the rental unit the applicant is interested in, as well as select if you are requiring tenant insurance for the application. If tenant insurance is required, we will inform tenants during the application phase and provide insurance offers from our insurance partners.

On the third and final step, you’ll be asked to confirm your credit bureau preference. This will default to the bureau selected on the modal in Step 1, however you can select from:

  • Dual Bureau Report (which includes both Equifax and TransUnion)
  • Equifax
  • TransUnion

Once you’ve completed your tenant report order, you’ll find the report viewable on your Tenant Reports home page instantly. You can view and download a PDF copy of the report by clicking on the table row.

Need more help with ordering your first screening report ? Watch Mac’s how-to below:

Other Information

To order a tenant credit & background check report in order to get this comprehensive view of your tenant, please click here.

To learn how to read a tenant credit & background check report, please click here

Learn more about Tenant Report

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