1.3.1 General Principles

Private landlords may set their own tenant screening and admissions requirements, provided that those requirements do not violate the Fair Housing Act.1  An increasing number of landlords and housing providers rely on reports generated by tenant screening companies to screen prospective tenants’ rental histories, credit reports, criminal backgrounds, and records of civil cases where the applicant is a party, such as eviction or debt collection cases.

• 1On the protections of the Fair Housing Act, see Section 13.