Laws & Compliance

Learn how to write clear tenant screening criteria for income, credit, criminal and eviction history that you can apply fairly to every applicant.

When you make decisions about who to rent to or hire, you want to be sure you’re making the right call. Background checks are a powerful tool in this process. But there’s more to it than just running a report. Following the rules around background checks is essential. Ignoring compliance can lead to costly legal trouble and damage your reputation. Let me walk you through why background check compliance is crucial and how it protects you and those you serve. Understanding Back

When you’re making decisions about who to rent to or hire, you want to be sure you’re protected legally. Background checks are a powerful tool for this. But simply running a check isn’t enough. You must follow the rules closely to avoid legal pitfalls. That’s where understanding background check compliance becomes essential. It’s not just about gathering information; it’s about doing it the right way. Why Background Check Compliance Importance Cannot Be Overlooked You might w

A single nuclear verdict in a Texas courtroom can now exceed $100 million, often triggered by a failure to identify a violent criminal history during...

A single administrative error in your hiring process could trigger a $500 civil penalty for every violation of the Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance. You...

On January 1, 2026, every standard eviction notice in Austin becomes legally obsolete. Failure to update your documentation to meet Senate Bill 38...

Would a $25,597 civil penalty bankrupt your rental business this year? According to 2025 HUD enforcement data, Fair Housing Act violations remain a...

A single federal compliance oversight can result in civil penalties exceeding $1,500,000 per violation according to 2024 Treasury Department...

Government regulations are a minefield of complex acronyms. But one stands apart, demanding your immediate attention: OFAC. For any U.S. business,...

One wrong step in your Texas screening process can lead to a costly lawsuit. Navigating the complex web of federal and state law is a critical...

The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) was established in 1972 and is intended to provide quality standards and to spell out the rights and responsibilities related to housing for both landlords and tenants. In most instances, a lease is used as a written agreement of the complete terms and obligations assumed by each party. A tenant screening background check is an integral part of owning and renting property, and one which all landlords should take seriousl

Credit reports are a useful tool for landlords in the process of tenant screening. You are allowed to evaluate a tenant’s ability to make regular payments on his rent, and how well he has handled similar situations before. You can find the following information in a credit report: . This includes name, address, and employment history, though this information is not used in credit scoring. Instead, it is used to make sure that the user of the credit report (you) is looking a

You got some great news today. You have earned a promotion. But there is some bad news, and that is you have to relocate to another part of the country. That means you have to look for a new place to live in. Unfortunately, your current property owner does not like you very much. Can he tell any potential property owners negative things about you? The question that you should ask yourself: Have you disclosed all of the information that your previous manager may say about you

Tenant background checks do differ, and moreso from state to state. There are state-specific laws pertaining to privacy that limit the amount of free information you can get off a particular state’s website.This also goes for information you are required to buy. It is not always true that you get what you pay for in this arena of personal information on a prospective tenant. Why would a landlord feel the need to do a tenant background check on a prospective tenant? In this

Background checks are a good idea for anyone renting out property because you really never know who may be trying to rent from you. The world unfortunately is not always a wholesome and safe place, as much as we would like it to be. Many people rent homes with the notion already in mind to sell drugs from it, use it as a flophouse, or worse. A rigorous tenant screening process, including a background check, is an easy way to rule out potential problem tenants before it’s too

What is shared here can be applied both to tenant screening as well as employment screening. Use this information as a guide, but you will also need to contact your local and state administrative authorities regarding specific laws that will impact how you may screen. In many cases, it is easy to decline tenancy to a prospective tenant simply by looking at face value circumstances. If the would-be renter cannot produce the required deposits or they have very little verifiabl