Screening Restrictions and Limitations

All screening reports are provided by TransUnion and are subject to various jurisdiction-specific laws and regulations that may limit what information may be reported, how much may be charged for a rental application, or whether the information is provided all at once or in stages. Among these restrictions:

Application Fees

NY State: caps the application fee at $20
Wisconsin: caps the application fee at $25
Boise, Idaho: caps the application fee at $30
Massachusetts: Landlords may not charge rental application fees to applicants

Criminal Records

Criminal records are available for AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, NV, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, and WI. Information from the National Sex Offender Registry, Most Wanted databases, and additional Federal databases are available for all states.

Eviction Records

Eviction records are not available for the following areas:

Additional Restrictions (two-step screening)

In these jurisdictions, the screening process involves two steps:

First, a landlord may ask a prospective tenant about their income, rental history, credit score, etc.

Second, only after the landlord prequalifies the prospective tenant may the landlord conduct a criminal background or eviction history screening (depending on the state).

Laws & Regulations

Laws and regulations governing screening reports change frequently, and the information here is not meant to be exhaustive and does not constitute legal advice. We encourage you to keep up-to-date with rental laws & regulations in your area.