Certn Tenant Screening

Certn Tenant Screening helps landlords and property managers screen rental applicants and staff with identity, credit, reference and employment checks. It suits teams that want configurable screening and bulk or API workflows. Its mix of checks and adverse-action support is useful, though per-check costs and source-dependent turnaround times call for careful planning.

Overview

Certn brings screening checks into a property-management workflow that includes automated processing and consent forms. Applicants can submit credentials from any device, while property managers can use bulk sending and package creation through the API. That combination is a practical fit for teams handling recurring or high-volume screening; landlords with occasional applicants may find the individual check prices easier to assess than the broader workflow.

Security controls include SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 reports or certification. Certn says it encrypts stored data with AES-256 and data in transit with TLS 1.2 or higher, and will notify affected clients within 24 hours of becoming aware of a data incident. Hosting is in cloud data centers in Canada, Australia, the UK and/or EU depending on region; there are no on-premise servers.

Key features

• Applicant checks: Credit reports through Equifax, identity, employment and income verification, references, and criminal searches cover several common screening needs.
• Workflow and scale: Automated processing, bulk sending, package creation and API support suit property managers coordinating many applicants.
• Consent and adverse action: Built-in consent forms and an adverse-action workflow support the screening process from authorization through follow-up.
• Mobile access: Certn describes the platform as fully mobile, and renters can submit credentials from any device.
• Integrations: Certn’s ATS integrations include Lever, Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS, Ashby, BreezyHR, Fountain and SmartRecruiters. They are included for clients, with setup support; these are recruiting integrations rather than a stated property-management integration list.

Pricing

Certn has no free plan. The listed prices are per check, so the total depends on which checks a property manager needs for each applicant. Larger-scale packages and customised pricing are available by contact.

Check	Price	Turnaround
Identity Verification	£3, paid once	Instant
Digital Right to Work Check	£6, paid once	1 day
Education Verification	£18, paid once	Depends on source responsiveness; team initiates within one business day
Credential Verification	£18, paid once	Depends on source responsiveness; team initiates within one business day
Employment Verification	£18, paid once	Depends on source responsiveness; team initiates within one business day
Adverse Media Check	£20, paid once	1 day
Basic Criminal Record Check – Basic Disclosure	£31.50, paid once	1–3 days
Criminal Record Check – Standard Level	£33.50, paid once	1–5 days
Criminal Record Check – Enhanced Level	£53, paid once	8–15 days
Reference Checks	Custom pricing	Depends on source responsiveness; team initiates within one business day

Identity verification is the lowest-cost listed check and is instant. Criminal checks cost more and can take longer, especially the Enhanced Level. Reference, education, credential and employment checks depend on how quickly sources respond, so a one-business-day initiation does not guarantee completion in that time.

Platforms

Certn supports Android, iOS, web and API access. Mobile credential submission helps applicants complete their part from different devices, while API and bulk tools are more relevant to teams building screening into a high-volume process.

Who it's for

Certn is best suited to landlords and property managers who need several kinds of checks, want consent and adverse-action steps in the same screening workflow, or handle enough volume to benefit from bulk sending and API package creation. Its per-check pricing also gives smaller operators a way to select individual checks, but source-dependent turnaround can make it a poor fit when a fixed completion time is essential.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad screening coverage: Identity, credit, employment, income, reference and criminal checks can address varied applicant requirements.
• Built-in process support: Consent forms and an adverse-action workflow support steps beyond the searches themselves.
• Options for scale: Bulk sending, package creation and API support serve higher-volume property managers.
• Clear prices for many checks: Several checks have per-check prices and turnaround estimates, making it possible to build a screening cost from selected checks.

Cons

• Costs can add up across checks: Prices are per check, and there is no free plan for evaluating recurring use at no charge.
• Some completion times depend on outside sources: Reference, education, credential and employment checks may take longer than their one-business-day initiation.
• Enhanced criminal checks take longer: The stated turnaround is 8–15 days, which may not suit a time-sensitive rental decision.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, see Tenant Screening Software and Background Check Software.

• TazWorks Software is another paid option across Android, iOS, web and API; its software pricing is by contact.
• SpringVerify is another paid option with Android, iOS, web and API platforms.
• IntelliCorp may suit web-only buyers seeking a Standard plan that includes SSN verification with address history, sanctions and criminal database searches, sex offender search and Department of Corrections search.
• Neotas is an API and web option with custom quotes based on service, search depth and monthly volume.
• Universal Background Screening is another paid, web-based option.
• Accurate Background may suit buyers seeking an Australia Essentials Package or a Basic Package at $155, paid once; the Basic Package combines police check and identity verification, reference check and employment history verification.
• BuildSafe may suit teams looking for contractor investigations, with a free plan and a Scouts Contractor Investigation™ option at $79, paid once.
• ClearStar is another paid option with Android, iOS, web and API platforms.

Verdict

Choose Certn if you manage rental screening and want multiple checks, consent and adverse-action support, with mobile applicant submission and bulk or API options as volume grows. Its main appeal is the breadth of checks and workflow support in one property-management offering. Look elsewhere if a free plan, a fixed completion time for source-dependent checks, or a single predictable all-in screening price is central to your decision.