FAQ

You can reach out to our office for current prices and more information about the types of reports we provide: 503-419-6539.

Yes, Bemrose Consulting can integrate with most softwares including Appfolio, TenantTech, and Entrata. If you are currently using something else, please let us know.

‍Bemrose Consulting uses Trans Union for all credit information. Bemrose Consulting does not distribute credit reports to applicants, but can summarize details of collections or past due balances upon request via phone. Applicants can obtain their free annual copy of their credit report at: https://www.transunion.com/annual-credit-report

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Bemrose Consulting is committed to providing landlords with all essential employment, residence, credit, criminal, and eviction information within 2 to 3 business days of receiving an application.

o   I submitted an application but haven’t heard anything. What’s going on?

• If you submit an application to Bemrose and do not receive a confirmation email within one business day, please call our office to verify the application was received.

o   It’s been three business days, what’s going on?

Various factors can delay obtaining information, including:

• Receipt of incomplete or unsigned applications, or lack of supporting documentation.

• Unresponsive landlords

• Unresponsive employers

• (For common names) vague, incomplete criminal records listed online that require follow-up by fax or phone to verify if the record pertains to applicant.

What you can do:

• Inform the applicant that they are expected to provide valid references, contact information, and documentation.

• Include copies of applicant’s photo ID, social security card, and income documentation with the application.

• Ensure the applicant fills out every line/box of the application and signs it.

• Confirm the spelling of the applicant’s current and past legal names when they apply. This is essential with handwritten applications that may be difficult to read.

• List unit information on the application including rent amount, move-in date, and unit number. This helps Bemrose staff determine if the applicant’s income is eligible, and if the move-in date conflicts with obligations to the current landlord.

• Know that some businesses / employers / landlords have a turnaround time of 3 to 7 business days, so they may not get back to Bemrose staff until that time. If there is an excessive delay, Bemrose staff will call you to discuss your preferences.

The landlord always makes the final decision and stands as the ultimate authority in the leasing process. Foundationally, screening companies serve as agents for landlords. The screening company provides information to assist with making an educated decision, but the screening company never approves or denies any applicant. A landlord’s criteria governs the screening result set forth in the screening report, but the landlord alone has the authority to make exceptions to criteria. [For further explanation, see ORS 90.295]

• If an applicant should inquire about their application status, they will be informed either:

  • It is still being screened and no information can be disclosed to them at this time.

  OR

  • The screening report has been sent back to the landlord with whom they applied, and they must contact the leasing staff directly to learn the leasing decision.

• If an applicant contacts Bemrose Consulting after receiving a denial of their application, a Bemrose supervisor will review the report and disclose to the applicant the factors that contributed to the leasing decision.

Bemrose Consulting uses the term “negative credit” to refer to all past due balances, collections, and bankruptcies on a credit report.

• Many employers will contract with third-party businesses to handle their employment verification requests. These companies then charge a fee for every inquiry, sometimes larger than Bemrose Consulting’s application fees. Examples: TrueWork, Experian Verify, The Work Number, InVerify, Thomas & Company, CCC Verify, and more.

• Bemrose Consulting will NOT accept employment verification documentation from third parties provided by applicants.

• Bemrose Consulting does not use fee-based verifications for a variety of reasons, including cost, turnaround time, and inaccurate information. Bemrose staff will contact employers directly by official company phone numbers and emails to obtain verification. If an employer refuses, applicants will be asked to provide documentation such as paystubs.

• If you would like Bemrose Consulting to obtain information via a fee-based service for employment screenings, please contact us to discuss options.

Bemrose Consulting accepts whatever application form clients prefer. If you are looking for a tenant application form to provide your applicants, MultiFamily Northwest has an excellent one available here: https://www.multifamilynw.org/order-forms

Yes, Bemrose Consulting staff will reach out to applicants to expedite obtaining verifications of employment and residence history. If you would like to institute a no-contact policy, please let us know.

• Applicants must provide employment information within a reasonable commuting distance of the property they applied to. That is, they must provide employment information for their NEW job to demonstrate ongoing employment. They should provide:

  • Name of company and Human Resources contact information AND

  • Letter of hire or letter of transfer.

• If self-employed or living on income such as trust funds, retirement savings, or investments, applicants must provide last year’s tax documentation OR 3 most recent months of bank statements.

• What about job transfers?

  • See above.

Applicants are expected to disclose their current legal name and ALL previous legal names. This is essential for criminal searches and obtaining references from previous landlords.

• Many large property management companies have implemented policies against releasing any past or present tenant information to prospective landlords.

• Applicants can request a copy of their tenant ledger from the landlord. Note that while this shows payment history, it fails to include any behavioral issues that may have occurred during the tenancy.

• Applicants can contact the landlord to work with management about possibly obtaining more details and releasing a reference to Bemrose Consulting.

If you haven’t screened an application with us recently, you may have lost access. Call our office to obtain a new password and account access: 503-419-6539.