O A housing provider cannot charge you a credit or background check fee if you provide one to them that was run within the last 30 days. The application fee is to cover the credit check.You don't need to do a credit check if they're simply asking you to verify your income. Who should pay the fee? FICO will ignore any queries spanning 30 days after your first apartment application. A landlord credit check helps determine if you're likely to pay rent. This application may be considered withdrawn if I do not inquire about its status within 30 days of the date of this notice. Have you frozen your credit report?