Over the past few years, we’ve seen state legislators turn up the heat when it comes to proposing and passing new landlord-tenant laws and credit reporting regulations. While prior years have been focused on ban-the-box, criminal screening restrictions, and rent control, this year’s big debate is unsurprisingly how to deal with COVID-19 related unpaid rent
Perseverance and grit are built into the foundations of our industry. While March through June of 2020 was taxing to say the least, you’ve had time to remodel your policies and procedures to adapt to rental applicants with an unfamiliar kind of recent credit history. As we were all scrambling over these four months, VantageScore
From the battle cries of a rent strike to outright banning evictions, the response to renters’ rights during the pandemic has varied depending on what area your rental property is located. On the extreme end of COVID-19 related housing responses, California legislators have proposed a bill that could reduce rent by 25% and halt evictions
Criminal records for rental decisions have become increasingly restricted over the past few years, and those efforts could be accelerated. As many local and state prisons and jails have released prisoners early during the coronavirus pandemic, there are concerns post-COVID that those previously incarcerated could become a protected class. As a protected class, resident screening
From Ohio to Alaska, several local and state governments have considered releasing non-violent criminals early to avoid catastrophic coronavirus outbreaks in local prisons and jails… and some areas already have. While not every state has fast-tracked releases, with some areas choosing to lower bails for misdemeanors or encourage their police force to ease up on
Federal prisons have been fast-tracking inmate assessments for home confinement, but what if where they call home is in a rental unit? Do your renters have to tell you if their new roommate is under house arrest? Will the background report pick up on that? As you grapple with these crazy times, we’ve answered all
Federal and state prisons are considering granting susceptible inmates early release in an effort to avoid major coronavirus outbreaks – and some already have. While many U.S. states were at the forefront of releasing nonviolent (often older) inmates early, the U.S. Attorney General issued his own order last Friday granting those eligible the option of
Portland, Oregon’s massive Fair Access in Renting (FAIR) ordinances have officially gone into effect on March 1st. Passing in June 2019, the FAIR ordinances cover everything from rental application and security deposit procedures to rental listing rules and applicant screening. Buckle up, because you’re not going to believe these intense, uniquely Portlandia laws. Please note
Life may not be fair, but HUD and the FHA are here to try and help by releasing new guidance for housing providers. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was created by President Johnson and was designed as a fight for justice and fairness. It was implemented in January of 1966, and only two
CIC has released credit, criminal and eviction data trends from 2019’s final quarter, October through December. The quarterly data analysis highlights the number of rental applicants that have criminal and eviction records on their tenant background checks, as well as the average FICO credit score. The analysis showed that, for the most part, many tenants