Applicant FAQ

ApproveShield is a resident screening service that assists property owners with independent verification of identity, rental history, credit, criminal background, and income information of prospective residents.

The community you applied to is committed to ensuring that all prospective residents meet their qualifying criteria. As part of that process, ApproveShield will collect and independently verify required information on their behalf.

Most communities require an ID, proof of income documents such as paystubs, tax returns or retirement benefits statements and proof of deposit documents such as bank statements.
The applicant portal will guide you through options for specific documents required by the community you applied to.

You may upload PDFs of your ID and pay documents.
For faster screening you may utilize one of our convenience services to download your income documents directly from your employer or financial institution.

No. The information you provide is only included in the screening report issued to the community you apply to and that information is not available to be used on a future application.

All information is encrypted in transit and at rest. Only individuals with a business need have access to data. Limited information is retained after screening concludes in order to comply with federal laws including the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

All information provided will be independently verified.
If any additional items are needed, an agent will reach out to you.
Once screening is completed, the community you applied to will be notified so that they can review the screening report.

While we quote 3 – 5 business days, most screenings can be completed much faster, especially if you visit the applicant portal and provide your information in a timely manner.

ABSOLUTELY! Our team is here to help you. We believe in human-to-human customer service and we understand the importance of communication. We offer applicants multiple ways to work together:

Respond to any text message you’ve received from us to leave a message with the agent reviewing your application.
Call our help line at 972-559-4730. Agents are available Monday – Friday between 7am and 7pm Central Time.

Our dispute team is available to assist! You may call our help line at 972-559-4730 to enter a dispute.

We understand how frustrating it can feel to pay an application fee and then not be approved for an apartment. However, it’s important to know that ApproveShield does not charge applicants for their apartment application fees and ApproveShield does not decide who is approved or declined. Application fees are set and collected by the apartment community, not by ApproveShield.
Being declined doesn’t mean someone was “scammed” — it means that unfortunately they did not meet the qualifying criteria set by the community they applied to.

For applicants, ApproveShield helps ensure a personalized, fairer, and faster experience. Because we verify information directly at the source, applicants don’t get stuck behind false red flags caused by errors in databases or documents that falsely flag in document analyzers. Our process reduces delays and improves accuracy.
For property owners and managers, ApproveShield provides peace of mind with 360-degree primary source verification, industry-leading fraud prevention, and full compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and SOC-2 data security standards. This means more accurate screening, reduced risk, and stronger communities.

Have a question about your application?