Resident Background Screening Checks Under Federal Scrutiny

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have asked for comment on resident background screening checks especially use of criminal and eviction records and algorithms, according to a release.  The FTC and CFPB are working closely to identify practices that may unfairly prevent consumers from obtaining and retaining housing. The public will have 90 days to submit comments at Regulations.gov. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. 

The agencies are asking for the public to weigh in on a wide array of issues that affect resident screening such as: 

• How criminal and eviction records are used by rental housing providers and property managers in making housing decisions. 
• How potential inaccuracies in criminal and other records affect rental housing decisions. 
• How rental housing providers and property managers are setting application and screening fees.