Before conducting any background checks for clients, RentPrep’s Screeners obtain an FCRA Certification. FCRA refers to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which is a federal law aimed at ensuring the accuracy, fairness, and confidentiality of information contained in consumer reports.
At RentPrep we are committed to ensuring that our clients comply with federal and state screening regulations. We strictly adhere to the reporting restrictions of your jurisdiction, and only provide information that is compliant. It’s important to be aware of the following guidelines, as some information you may come across elsewhere may not be included in our reports.
While federal screening guidelines may be less strict than state-specific guidelines, they must still be adhered to in all states, regardless of whether state-specific guidelines exist. In most cases, state-specific guidelines will take precedence over federal guidelines, as they are often more stringent.
- Criminal Records - Records within the past seven years are reportable. Records that are older than seven years are typically not reportable, except for guilty felonies. However, records that have been dropped/abandoned, expunged or pardoned are never reportable.
- Eviction Records - Only records filed within the past seven years are reportable. Additionally, vacated records are never reportable.
- Bankruptcies can be reported for up to ten years from the status date.
- Judgements can be reported for up to seven years from the date of filing.
- Liens can be reported for up to seven years from either the date of filing of the release date.
State-specific guidelines are typically more rigorous and require closer scrutiny to determine whether a record is reportable or not. If an applicant is currently residing or relocating to a state with specific guidelines, we follow the stricter set of guidelines to ensure compliance with the law. This approach helps safeguard our clients from any potential legal problems.
The guidelines governing background screenings are subject to frequent updates, as states across the country continue to tighten their regulations. Here is an illustration of such guidelines that we adhere to for certain states:
- California, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Texas, and Washington all follow the seven-year rule. In other words, any records that are older than seven years are never reportable in these states.
If you discover or are informed about a record, it’s important to note that we adhere to specific reporting guidelines. If you would like to learn more about why a particular record may not have appeared in our report, feel free to contact us by phone.