Question 1

Is collecting tenants' SSNs legal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SSN collection for tenant screening is standard and permitted under the FCRA when used for a permissible purpose (evaluating a rental application). Oscar uses SSNs only for identity verification and authorized background checks, with explicit tenant consent captured and timestamped on every application.

Question 2

Are you FCRA compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Oscar operates as a consumer reporting agency workflow: tenants give written consent, adverse-action notices are generated automatically when a landlord declines an applicant based on a report, and tenants can dispute any item with a regulated review timeline.

Question 3

What about eviction records?

Accepted Answer

We reference court case numbers and public filings only. We do not display sealed, expunged, or expired eviction records, and tenants can flag inaccurate references for review. Jurisdictions that restrict eviction reporting (e.g. New Jersey's Fair Chance in Housing Act) are honored.

Question 4

Do you support fair-housing requirements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Scoring uses only objective rental-performance signals — never protected characteristics. Decision logs are stored per applicant so landlords can demonstrate consistent criteria if audited.

Question 5

How is the SSN stored and protected?

Accepted Answer

SSNs are encrypted at rest with AES-256 envelope encryption, never displayed in full in the UI, and access is logged. We are pursuing SOC 2 Type II and follow least-privilege access controls. Decryption keys are rotated and held in a managed KMS, separate from the application database.

Question 6

Who can see a tenant's full record?

Accepted Answer

Only the tenant (always), and landlords the tenant explicitly shares with during an application. Shares are scoped, time-bound, and revocable. Oscar staff cannot read tenant PII outside of an audited support request.

Question 7

What happens to my data if I stop using Oscar?

Accepted Answer

You can export your full data at any time as JSON or CSV. Tenant profiles remain owned by the tenant and continue to exist independently of any landlord account. Property managers can delete their account and associated property data on request within 30 days.

Question 8

Can a tenant see and dispute what's on their record?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every tenant has access to their own profile and can submit disputes for any entry. Disputes follow an FCRA-style review process with timelines, written outcomes, and the right to add a 100-word personal statement to the record.

Question 9

Is the tenant rating subjective?

Accepted Answer

No. The score is computed from objective criteria — payment timeliness, complaint count, and documented move-out condition. Landlords cannot leave free-form negative reviews on a tenant; only structured, verifiable signals contribute.

Question 10

Does the rental record follow me between landlords?

Accepted Answer

Yes — that's the point. Your verified payment history, ID, and references stay with you. Future landlords can request access with one tap, and you decide what to share and for how long.

Question 11

Is Oscar free for tenants?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tenants never pay to create, view, or share their rental record. Landlords pay for screening and platform features.

Question 12

What's included in a screening report?

Accepted Answer

Identity verification, credit summary (soft pull), nationwide criminal background, eviction history where legally reportable, income verification, and the applicant's Oscar rental record if they have one.

Question 13

How long does a screening take?

Accepted Answer

Most reports finalize in under 5 minutes once the applicant completes their consent and identity steps. Income verification via payroll connection is typically instant.

Question 14

Can I customize my screening criteria?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set minimum credit score, income-to-rent ratio, eviction lookback window, and criminal record rules per property. Applicants see the criteria up front so there are fewer wasted applications.

Question 15

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

A free tier covers individual landlords with up to a handful of units. Paid plans are billed per active unit per month and unlock screening, e-signature leases, and the verified rental record. See the pricing page for the current breakdown.

Question 16

Who pays for screening — the landlord or the applicant?

Accepted Answer

Your choice. You can pay per report, or pass the cost through to the applicant at checkout. Many landlords absorb the fee on premium properties to widen the funnel.

Question 17

Can I cancel anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Plans are month-to-month with no contract. If you cancel, your data export remains available for 30 days and tenant records stay with tenants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Compliance & Legal

Security & Data

For Tenants

Screening & Applications

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