inquiry

What is LeasingDesk?

“LeasingDesk” (often shown as “LeasingDsk” on a credit report) is a tenant‑screening service operated by RealPage that landlords and property managers use to check rental applicants.​

What LeasingDesk Does

LeasingDesk pulls information such as your credit data, rental and payment history, criminal records, income, debt, and eviction records to generate a screening report and a pass/fail‑type score for landlords. Property owners use that report to decide whether to approve, deny, or add conditions (like a higher deposit) to your rental application.​

Why It Shows On Credit Reports

When a landlord uses LeasingDesk to screen you, the system can trigger a hard inquiry on your credit report under a name like “LeasingDsk” or “LeasingDesk Screening.” That inquiry may slightly lower your credit score for a time and generally stays visible for up to two years, similar to other hard pulls.​

Your Rights And Next Steps

LeasingDesk/RealPage is treated as a consumer reporting agency, so you can request a copy of your tenant‑screening report and dispute incorrect information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you see “LeasingDesk” on your credit file and were denied housing or believe something is wrong, contact RealPage/LeasingDesk for a copy of your report and then dispute any errors in writing with documentation.

LeasingDesk screening can affect your credit report mainly by adding a hard inquiry and, in some cases, by helping landlords decide based on information pulled from your credit history.

Hard inquiry on your report

When a landlord uses LeasingDesk (RealPage) to screen you, the system usually pulls your credit file from a bureau, which creates a hard inquiry labeled something like “LeasingDsk” or “LeasingDesk Screening” on your credit report.​
A hard inquiry can cause a small, temporary drop in your credit score, and the inquiry generally remains visible on your credit report for up to two years, though its impact on your score lessens over time.​

Effect of multiple applications

If you apply for several apartments in a short period and each landlord uses LeasingDesk or similar services, you can accumulate multiple hard inquiries.​
Multiple inquiries in a short timeframe can have a bigger negative effect on your score, especially if your credit history is thin.​

Information LeasingDesk uses

LeasingDesk uses your credit information (along with rental, eviction, criminal, and income data) to generate a pass/fail‑type tenant score for landlords, but it does not create your main credit score itself.​
Problems arise if the underlying data in your tenant report is wrong, because bad information can lead to denials of housing even if your regular credit score is decent.​

What you can do

You have the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to request a copy of your RealPage/LeasingDesk consumer report and dispute any errors, just like with a credit bureau.​
If you see a LeasingDesk inquiry you do not recognize or you were denied housing and suspect a mistake, request the report from RealPage, dispute inaccurate items in writing, and consider speaking with a consumer‑rights attorney if the errors are serious or not corrected.

Basics of Consumer Credit

What is Consumer Credit?

Consumer credit is the borrowing of money for goods and services. This could be in the form of credit cards, personal loans, and other lines of credit. Total consumer credit comprises of two major types: revolving and non-revolving. The borrower agrees to pay back the borrowed amount plus interest over a set period of time, usually in monthly installments. Consumer credit is commonly used for big purchases such as cars, homes, and education.

Revolving credit

Revolving credit lets you borrow up to the pre-approved credit limit. The borrower is required to make monthly payments either on the full amount or regular payments. Interest is charged on the outstanding balance. Examples include credit cards, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and personal and business lines of credit.

Non-revolving Credit

Non-revolving credit is a type of credit a borrower repays in fixed payments over a set period. Unlike revolving credit, a non-revolving credit is a one time arrangement. Once the credit line is paid off, the lender closes the account. Examples include: home mortgage loans, student loans and business loans.

What is a Credit Report?

A credit report is a record of an individuals credit activity and current credit situation. The report is created by the credit reporting agencies also known as credit bureaus or credit reporting companies, that collect information about an individual’s credit accounts, payment history, and other financial transactions that is submitted to them by creditors, such as lenders, credit card companies, and other financial companies. Creditors are not required to report to every credit reporting company.

What’s in My Credit Report?

Your credit report will include:

Personal information

  • Your name and any name you may have used in the past in connection with a credit account, including nicknames

  • Current and former addresses

  • Birth date

  • Social Security number

  • Phone numbers

Credit accounts

  • Current and historical credit accounts, including the type of account (mortgage, installment, revolving, etc.)

  • The credit limit or amount

  • Account balance

  • Account payment history

  • The date the account was opened and closed

  • The name of the creditor

Collection items

Public records

  • Liens

  • Foreclosures

  • Bankruptcies

  • Civil suits and judgments

  • A credit report may include information on overdue child support provided by a state or local child support agency or verified by any local, state, or federal government agency.

Inquiries 

Companies that have accessed your credit report.

What are Inquiries?

An inquiry is a record of when a lender, a creditor, or other authorized entity requests to see your credit report. There are two types: hard inquiries and soft inquires.

Hard Inquiry: Occurs when a lender or creditor requests to see and individual’s credit report as part of a credit application for a loan or credit card. Hard inquires can impact a credit score and remain on a credit report for up to 2 years. Multiple hard inquiries within a short period of time can signal to lenders that an individual is seeking a lot of credit, which could be interpreted as a sign of financial distress.

Soft Inquiry: Does not impact credit scores and are not visible to lenders. Soft inquiries can be initiated by the individual when checking their own credit report or by organizations like employers or credit monitoring services.

How Do I Check My Credit Score?

As of April 2023, Annual Credit Report is still allowing access to free credit reports once a week. Go to this link: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action to get your reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

What if I See Errors?

If you see errors on your credit report, dispute the information with the credit reporting company in writing. Explain what you think is wrong, why, and included documents that support your dispute.