The bill requires a landlord to accept from a prospective tenant a
portable tenant screening report (screening report). A screening report must have been prepared by a consumer reporting agency (agency) within the previous 30 days at the prospective tenant's request and expense and include certain information about the prospective tenant.
If a prospective tenant provides a screening report, the landlord shall not charge the prospective tenant either an application fee or a fee for the landlord to access or use the screening report.
Prior to collecting any tenant information that would generate an
application fee, a landlord shall advise a prospective tenant that the landlord accepts screening reports and is prohibited from charging an application fee or other fee to a prospective tenant who provides a screening report.
If a prospective tenant's rental application is denied, and the
landlord charged the prospective tenant an application fee to obtain a consumer report, the landlord shall provide a copy of the consumer report to the prospective tenant, along with a notice of the prospective tenant's right to dispute the accuracy of the consumer report. If the prospective tenant did not pay an application fee for the landlord to obtain a consumer report, the landlord's notice of denial must include either a copy of the consumer report or the agency's contact information and notice of the prospective tenant's right to receive a free copy of the consumer report and to dispute the accuracy of the consumer report.
The bill authorizes the attorney general's office to independently
initiate and bring an action to enforce the Rental Application Fairness Act.
