It's important to note that landlords are unable to check a tenant's credit history without a social security number, since there is no way to pull information from any of the credit bureaus.
You don't need a person's social security number to file an eviction, in fact court rules prohibit you from listing their social security number for privacy reasons - court records are typically public documents and searchable by anyone (unless sealed by court order).
For example, in California, landlords are prohibited from requiring tenants to provide their social security numbers and are only permitted to use them for specific purposes such as obtaining credit reports or background checks.
To run a credit check on a prospective tenant, you will have to ask the tenant for their legal name, current address, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), or Social Security number.
Ing to a spokesperson for a national screening company, a social security number is not mandatory for a credit check. You can order a credit report with a name and address.
Send an application with tenant screening turned off Since the SSN is a required field, have them temporarily enter any 9-digit number so they can continue filling out their rental application and complete it. Note: These applicants without an SSN will most likely show up as Identity Unverified.
Before you move in, you'll need to prepare all of your necessary documents. This includes your driver's license or ID, Social Security Number, birth certificate, and more. You'll also need to provide proof of income and previous rental history.
Rental, credit and employment information is generally referenced and submitted in form of a letter or sometimes by a phone call. Renters need to have a social security number. If you do not have a social security number or are not applying for one you must have a guarantor co-signing your lease.
Although not all landlords will need you to have a Social Security number, pretty much all of them will require some sort of legal documentation, so be sure to have that ready before you start apartment hunting.