Not only is a credit check legal it is to be expected. It is a vital part of the applicant screening process.The landlords wont accept your own credit reports. If an applicant is rejected based on information found on a credit report, the landlord must provide an Adverse Action Notice to the applicant. The BidenHarris Administration is announcing new actions to increase fairness in the rental market and further principles of fair housing. As a landlord, you'll be running a rental credit check on tenants during the screening process. Applicant's authorization: It's mandatory to get written permission from the tenant to run a credit check in most states. Not all landlords and property managers do credit checks online. If possible, space out your rental applications. If an applicant does not grant this permission, a landlord cannot do a credit check.