How to Remove RentGrow From Your Credit Report

RentGrow on your credit report is one of the more straightforward entries to explain, even if the name itself isn’t familiar. RentGrow is a tenant screening company, not a lender or credit card issuer. They show up on your credit report when a landlord or property management company uses their services to evaluate a rental application.

If you’ve applied for an apartment recently, this entry is almost certainly connected to that process. Here’s what it means, how it affects your credit score, and what to do if you don’t recognize it.

What Is RentGrow on Your Credit Report?

RentGrow is a tenant screening company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yardi Systems, a major property management software company. Landlords and property management companies use RentGrow to run background checks on rental applicants, which can include credit history, rental history, and civil and criminal records.

RentGrow doesn’t make rental decisions and doesn’t set eligibility criteria for any property. All of that is determined by the property management company. RentGrow simply compiles the screening report that landlords use to evaluate applicants.

Why RentGrow Appears on Your Credit Report

RentGrow shows up on your credit report when a landlord or property manager requests a screening report that includes a credit check. This can happen in more situations than most renters realize:

• New rental application: Applying for an apartment or rental home that uses RentGrow’s services is the most common trigger. The credit check is part of the standard screening process.
• Co-signer or guarantor application: If you co-signed or acted as a guarantor on someone else’s rental application, RentGrow may have screened you as part of that process.
• Lease renewal rescreening: Some property management companies rescreen existing tenants when their lease is up for renewal, which can generate a new RentGrow inquiry even if you’ve lived there for years.
• Unauthorized inquiry: If you don’t recognize any of the above scenarios, someone may have used your information to apply for a rental without your knowledge.

How RentGrow Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score

A hard inquiry from RentGrow causes a small dip in your credit score, typically just a few points. One inquiry on its own is not a meaningful concern. The impact grows when multiple hard inquiries appear in a short period, though rental inquiries are generally viewed differently by lenders than credit card or loan inquiries.

The effect on your credit score fades within a few months and becomes negligible well before the entry drops off your credit report entirely.

How Long RentGrow Stays on Your Credit Report

Hard inquiries from RentGrow remain on your credit report for two years from the date they were pulled. All three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, record and display the entry during that window. Once the two years are up, it drops off automatically.

What to Do If You Don’t Recognize the RentGrow Entry

If RentGrow appears on your credit report and you haven’t applied for a rental recently, here’s how to handle it:

• Contact RentGrow directly: Ask them to identify which property management company requested the screening and when it was made. You can also request a copy of your screening report free of charge to review what information they pulled.
• Dispute with the credit bureaus: If RentGrow cannot verify that the inquiry was authorized, file a formal dispute with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Include your personal details and a written explanation of why the entry should be removed from your credit report.
• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze: If you suspect someone used your personal information to apply for a rental, a fraud alert requires lenders to verify your identity before approving new applications. A credit freeze provides stronger protection by blocking new credit entirely until you lift it.

RentGrow Contact Information

If you need to reach RentGrow to ask about an inquiry or request your screening report, here is their contact information:

Phone: (800) 898-1351

Mailing Address: RentGrow, Inc., 177 Huntington Avenue, Suite 1703 #74213, Boston, MA 02115-3153

Bottom Line

RentGrow on your credit report is a tenant screening company running a credit check on behalf of a landlord or property manager. The entry is almost always tied to a rental application, a co-signer screening, or a lease renewal rescreen, even if you don’t immediately make the connection.

If you recognize what triggered it, there’s nothing urgent to do. If you don’t, contact RentGrow to find out which property requested the screening, and dispute the entry with the credit bureaus if you can’t verify it was authorized.