You can only obtain a consumer report if you have a permissible purpose. Landlords are generally required to obtain written consent from tenants or prospective tenants before obtaining a consumer report, including a background check.Under federal law, a landlord who denies your tenant application because of information in a tenant screening report is required to inform you of that fact. Did you know that you cannot run a background check on an applicant unless you have a signed consent form from them? Know Virginia Background Check Laws​​ Additionally, you must get written consent from a tenant before running a background check. It seems inefficient to have a minimum credit score in mind but not let an applicant know until they are rejected for low credit.