LeasingDesk Screening Report Got You Denied? Here’s Why—and How to Fight Back

Welcome to the apartment application process in 2025: you tour a unit, fill out a form, pay a $50 “non-refundable” fee, and then wait—only to get ghosted or denied because of a screening report you’ve never even seen.

Enter: LeasingDesk.

Yes, that LeasingDesk, owned by RealPage Inc., the behind-the-scenes data broker that crunches everything from eviction records to how often you blink during a showing (probably). And if their screening report says you’re “high risk,” your application is basically dead on arrival—even if the info is wrong.

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What’s a LeasingDesk Screening Report?

A LeasingDesk report is what landlords and property managers use to decide whether you're allowed to rent their overpriced one-bedroom. It pulls from public records, eviction databases, credit files, and sometimes even prior lease payment history—if your previous landlord handed it over.

Seems thorough, right? Until it's wrong.

And it’s often wrong.

In fact, according to a 2021 study by the CFPB, as many as 68% of renters denied housing due to screening reports were never told why, and over 30% of reports contained errors ranging from outdated evictions to entirely mistaken identities.

Common Errors in LeasingDesk Reports

Here’s what we see most often at the frontlines of screening report horror stories:

• Evictions that never happened or were legally sealed

• Mixed identity reports (you + a stranger = one Frankenstein file)

• Old debts from previous rentals that were paid or settled

• Criminal records that don’t belong to you but got linked anyway

• Credit misreporting that shouldn’t even be there (you’re not applying for a mortgage, you’re trying to rent)

These errors don’t just delay your housing—they can block you from getting any housing at all.

What Are Your Rights?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you're entitled to:

• A copy of the report used to deny you housing

• An explanation of why you were denied

• The opportunity to dispute inaccurate information

• A corrected report sent to the landlord if the dispute is resolved in your favor

But here’s the catch: most renters never even see the report. Landlords aren’t required to hand it over unless you ask. And even then, good luck getting LeasingDesk to fix anything quickly.

How to Dispute a LeasingDesk Report (Without Losing Your Mind)

Step 1: Request your LeasingDesk report directly from RealPage
They’re legally obligated to provide it. If they don’t, that’s already an FCRA violation.

Step 2: File a formal dispute
You’ll need documentation—lease agreements, court records, anything proving the error. RealPage has 30 days to investigate and correct it.

Step 3: Talk to an attorney if the dispute is ignored or denied
And this is where the story actually gets productive.

Because when LeasingDesk refuses to clean up their mess, legal action isn’t just possible—it’s often necessary.

This guide breaks it all down and tells you what to do next: https://consumerattorneys.com/article/leasingdesk-screening-report-dispute

Final Thoughts from a Jaded Legal Writer

These reports are automated, unchecked, and weaponized by property managers too lazy to call your last landlord. Meanwhile, your ability to rent depends on an algorithm that wouldn’t recognize you if you walked into its data center with a birth certificate.

If LeasingDesk cost you an apartment, don’t shrug it off. Fixing it yourself is hard—but you don’t have to do it alone.

And hey, next time someone says “it’s just a formality,” show them your screening report.