State Changes Its Tenant Screening Rules
Washington state legislators last week passed a law that requires more of landlords in that state.
Beginning June 7, landlords who wish to run tenant screening reports must first disclose to the applicant what information they will be seeking, which service they use, and what reasons they have for rejecting an applicant.
Specifically, landlords must disclose in writing:
What criteria may result in denial of the application;
The name and address of the screening service that will be used;
What types of information will be accessed; and
The prospective tenant’s rights to obtain a free copy of the tenant screening report in the event of a denial or other adverse action, and to dispute the accuracy of information appearing in any report.
If a prospective landlord takes an adverse action with respect to a prospective tenant that is based, in whole or in part, on information contained in a screening report, the landlord must provide a written notice of the adverse action to the applicant that states the reasons for the adverse action and contains the name, address, and telephone number of the screening service that furnished the report.
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