NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 30, 2026 / TheGuarantors, the nation’s #1 lease guarantee provider, and TransUnion SmartMove, the leading renter screening solution for independent property owners, today announced a collaboration that gives property owners a new way to approve borderline applicants without absorbing the risk themselves. TransUnion SmartMove property owners who screen an applicant and want additional reassurance before signing a lease will now have access to TheGuarantors’ Lease Guarantee.

With over 46 million rental households in the U.S., and renters accounting for nearly 80% of all new household growth in 2025, the demand for rental housing is stronger than ever. Yet independent property owners regularly face a difficult decision: an applicant with imperfect credit, income below preferred thresholds, or limited rental history who may not meet requirements on paper, but could be a quality resident who pays on time. Approving them without financial protection is a risk owners shouldn’t have to absorb.

Under the collaboration, property owners using TransUnion SmartMove to screen prospective renters will be able to offer TheGuarantors’ Lease Guarantee as a pathway for applicants who fall short of their standard approval criteria. Rather than declining a renter outright, requiring a larger upfront deposit, or taking on risk themselves, owners can give applicants a route to approval that provides coverage from TheGuarantors against missed rent.

TheGuarantors’ Lease Guarantee gives property owners the confidence to approve renters knowing they have added protection against the financial impact of renter default. TheGuarantors has processed over one million renter applications and protects over $7 billion in lease value nationwide. TransUnion SmartMove gives owners access to robust credit, criminal, and eviction screening reports; its proprietary ResidentScore(R) helps predict eviction risk better than a standard credit score in the highest-risk applicant range. Together, the two companies are connecting the moment of the screening decision directly to a financial safety net, helping reduce friction and giving owners the peace of mind to approve more quality applicants with ease.

Maitri Johnson, Senior Vice President and Head of Tenant and Employment Screening at TransUnion said: “SmartMove was built to give independent property owners access to the same caliber of screening tools as the largest property owners and operators. Adding TheGuarantors extends that mission. Landlords don’t just get a clearer view of applicant risk, they get an option to approve more quality renters with confidence. That’s a meaningful step forward for property owners and for the renters who deserve a fair shot at housing.”

Julien Bonneville, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TheGuarantors, said: “Independent property owners are often making high-stakes decisions on their own, with little to no safety net. Our collaboration with TransUnion SmartMove puts rent protection in their hands at exactly the right moment, right after applicant screening. We want owners to be able to say yes more often, and we want renters who are close to qualifying to have a real path to getting a home. This collaboration makes both possible.”

About TheGuarantors

TheGuarantors is a fintech leader redefining access for renters and risk mitigation for property owners and managers. Through insurance-backed lease guarantees and AI-driven renter underwriting, the company supports more inclusive housing access while helping owner-operators secure rent roll and minimize bad debt. Trusted by 10 of the top 10 U.S. multifamily operators, TheGuarantors is available in nearly four million units nationwide, protects more than $7 billion in lease value, and is backed by 15 balance sheet partners. Learn more at theguarantors.com.

About TransUnion SmartMove

TransUnion SmartMove is the renter screening solution of choice for independent property owners across the U.S., and part of TransUnion, one of the three major nationwide consumer reporting agencies, serving thousands of businesses and hundreds of millions of consumers globally. SmartMove was purpose-built to bring enterprise-grade screening capabilities to independent property owners: no subscriptions, no setup fees, and a fully digital process that delivers reports to independent property owners. Learn more at mysmartmove.com.

Press Contact: marketing@theguarantors.com

SOURCE: TheGuarantors

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