Soft vs hard pull: What renters should know about credit checks

If you’re applying to rent a new home, you’ve probably seen the phrase “credit check” without much explanation. That can feel stressful fast, especially when you’re trying to figure out whether a check will affect your score.

Here’s the basic question renters are really asking: What’s the difference between a soft vs hard pull, and does it matter during screening?

It does matter. Not every credit check works the same way, and knowing the difference can help you ask better questions before you apply.

What’s the difference between a soft and hard pull?

A soft pull is a credit check that usually doesn’t affect your credit score. A hard pull is a credit check that may affect your score and is typically associated with a more formal review of your credit file.

For renters, the key point is simple: Ask what kind of credit check is being used before you submit an application. That gives you a clearer picture of what to expect and helps you avoid surprises.

People also ask: Do apartment applications use a soft or hard credit check?

It depends on the housing provider and the screening process they use.

Some screening workflows may use a soft pull, while others may use a hard pull. In Colorado, credit history can be part of a screening report, including a portable tenant screening report, but the law itself does not mean every credit check works the same way or that every application will be handled the same way.

Why renters care about this distinction

Most renters aren’t trying to become credit experts. They just want to know whether applying for a home could affect their score.

That’s why this question comes up so often. A soft pull generally feels lower-stakes. A hard pull feels more consequential. And when you’re applying to more than one place, that difference can matter.

It also matters because screening already feels repetitive for a lot of renters. Rentell’s brand position is built around that reality: Renters are often asked for the same information again and again, with new fees and new checks along the way.

How this fits into Colorado screening

In Colorado, a portable tenant screening report can include credit history as part of the report’s required content. If a renter provides a valid portable tenant screening report in most cases, a property manager must accept that report as the screening report and can’t charge a rental application fee or a fee to access or use that report.

But there’s an important line here.

Accepting a valid portable report is not the same as approving the application. Property managers still apply their own screening criteria and still make the rental decision.

So when renters ask about soft vs hard pull, the practical takeaway is this: credit checks are one part of screening, but they are not the whole decision.

A few clarifying points

A credit check isn’t the whole screening report

Tenant screening can include more than credit. Rentell’s compliance guide describes screening content as including identity, employment or income, credit, rental history, and criminal or eviction history when those items are part of the property’s criteria.

Colorado has some limits on how credit history can be used

Colorado law says that if a property manager uses rental history or credit history, they generally can’t consider that history beyond seven years immediately before the application. There are also additional rules for applicants using housing subsidies, including limits around considering credit score in some cases.

In short

A soft pull and a hard pull are not the same thing. For renters, the most important difference is whether the check may affect your credit score.

Before you apply, ask what kind of credit check will be used, whether a portable tenant screening report is accepted, and what fees apply. That won’t answer everything, but it makes the process a lot clearer