Specialty consumer reports and your rights to see them

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion aren’t the only companies that keep reports about you. Specialty consumer reporting companies collect information for landlords, employers, banks and others, and you have rights to see those reports too.

What specialty consumer reports are

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains that, in addition to the three nationwide credit bureaus, there are consumer reporting companies that build reports for specific industries. Like the nationwide bureaus, they gather information about consumers and report it to creditors, landlords, insurers, employers and others.

The CFPB keeps a list of consumer reporting companies sorted by category. As of November 2026, that page says the list is current as of January 2025. The CFPB notes the list isn’t all-inclusive and is based on how companies describe themselves.

Three common types

Tenant screening

The CFPB says tenant screening reports can include credit, eviction, rent payment, identity, income and criminal background information. Most of these companies only have information about you if you’ve applied for rental housing or authorized a landlord to request a report. The CFPB also notes that a landlord may make a “hard” inquiry on your credit, which can lower your scores.

Employment screening

Employment screening reports can include credit, employment, education and license verification, along with criminal records, driving records and social media. The CFPB says many of these companies only have information about you if you authorized an employer to request a report. Employment screening doesn’t affect your credit scores.

Check and bank account screening

The CFPB calls this category deposit account and payments screening. Banks, credit unions and merchants use these reports when you open a checking or savings account, write a check, or make an electronic transfer. The CFPB says unpaid overdrafts, account closures and suspected fraud can show up in them.

The CFPB’s list also covers other categories, including personal property insurance, telecom and utilities, and retail.

Your right to see your specialty reports

You can request reports from specialty companies, but the CFPB says you have to request each one individually. Unlike your nationwide credit reports, they aren’t ordered through AnnualCreditReport.com. To request a report, contact the company directly. The CFPB’s list shows which companies offer a free report.

The CFPB says most companies on its list provide a free report every 12 months, while others may charge a fee. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, nationwide specialty consumer reporting companies must offer a streamlined way to request your free annual report that includes, at a minimum, a toll-free phone number.

Free reports in other situations

Federal law also requires a free report in certain cases, including:

• Within 60 days after you receive an adverse action notice based on a report
• If you’re unemployed and plan to apply for work within 60 days
• If you receive public welfare assistance
• If you believe your file is inaccurate because of fraud

The CFPB says adverse action notices from landlords and banks must name the screening company, and you can request a free copy of the report from the company named. For details, see the post on your free report after a credit denial.

If you’re turned down for housing

The CFPB says a landlord who denies your application because of a tenant screening report must give you an adverse action notice. It can be written, oral or electronic, and it must include:

• The name, address and phone number of the screening company
• Your right to a free copy of the report if you ask within 60 days
• Your right to dispute inaccurate information

According to the CFPB, adverse action can also include requiring a co-signer, or requiring a larger deposit or higher rent than other applicants pay. You can ask the landlord for a copy of the report or contact the screening company directly.

Disputing errors in a specialty report

You can dispute inaccurate or outdated information with the specialty company. The CFPB says the screening or credit reporting company generally has 30 days to investigate, and in some cases 45 days. Some states have shorter deadlines, so check with your state attorney general. If a tenant screening report includes information from a nationwide credit report, you can dispute errors with the credit reporting company, the company that supplied the information, or both.

If you have a problem with a credit or tenant screening report, the CFPB says you can submit a complaint online or call (855) 411-2372. For a broader overview, see your credit rights.

The short version

• Specialty consumer reporting companies keep reports used for renting, hiring, banking, insurance and more.
• You have to request specialty reports from each company directly, not through AnnualCreditReport.com.
• Many offer a free report every 12 months, and you’re entitled to a free copy within 60 days of an adverse action notice.
• Landlords and banks that deny you based on a screening report must name the company that supplied it.
• You can dispute inaccurate or outdated information in a specialty report.

Sources

• CFPB: List of consumer reporting companies
• CFPB: How do I get a free copy of my credit reports?
• CFPB: What should I do if my rental application is denied because of a tenant screening report?
• CFPB: You have a right to see specialty consumer reports too
• 15 U.S. Code § 1681j: Charges for certain disclosures

General information, not legal or financial advice. Laws and government guidance change, so check the sources above for the latest.