Snappt Releases 2026 Multifamily Fraud Report, Revealing How Applicant Fraud Is Scaling Across the Industry

New data exposes the rise of organized, repeatable fraud tactics and what operators must do to protect applicant trust

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Snappt, the leading platform for applicant trust and authenticity in multifamily housing, today released its 2026 Multifamily Fraud Report, a comprehensive analysis of 2025 fraud activity, emerging tactics, key trends, and what operators can expect in the year ahead.

As fraud accelerates, applicant trust is becoming harder to earn and easier to exploit. The report details why standard checks are no longer sufficient and why layered verification, including critical signals such as rent verification, is essential for modern screening.

“Applicants have unprecedented access to tools and services that can produce convincing fraudulent documents quickly and at minimal cost,” said James Hyde, CEO of Snappt. “Without strong verification in place, property owners and operators are left highly vulnerable and often unaware that fraud is slipping through their screening processes.”

In 2025, Snappt analyzed 1,462,338 applicant submissions and identified more than 86,000 edited applications, resulting in an average fraud rate of 5.1%. Template farms emerged as the dominant fraud method, accounting for over 42,600 cases and operating like an assembly line that mass-produces fake document templates, sells them online, and reuses them across applicants to evade traditional screening.

Tactics like AI-assisted fraud, false rental histories, and synthetic identities have become impossible to spot without robust verification technology. And with 61% of property managers lacking confidence in their ability to prevent fraud with their current process, the report underscores that advanced verification is no longer optional. It’s a requirement to maintain trust in leasing and stop sophisticated fraud before it impacts your bottom line.

The 2026 Snappt Multifamily Fraud Report reveals a fraud landscape that’s no longer reactive or opportunistic, but deliberate, organized, and designed to scale. By exposing how these methods are evolving and where risk is concentrating, the report gives multifamily operators a clearer path forward: one that protects applicant trust, reduces exposure, and raises the bar for modern screening.

You can download the report here.

About Snappt

Snappt is the industry-leading Applicant Trust Platform for the multifamily housing industry. Serving owners and operators protecting more than 2.3 million units, Snappt brings confidence, transparency, and efficiency to the leasing process by unifying advanced fraud detection, AI-powered identity and data checks, connected payroll and bank information, and verification of rent in a single platform. By helping property managers verify the truth behind every application, Snappt reduces risk, prevents bad debt, and protects community safety. Recognized for innovation and impact, Snappt has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for two consecutive years. www.snappt.com