Are there any laws governing the use of tenant background checks?

In Washington, a landlord is allowed to do a background check on a potential tenant, such as requesting a credit report or criminal background check to determine a tenant’s eligibility for renting the property. However, there are laws that govern the use of tenant background checks and how the landlord must use the results. Under Washington law, a landlord is prohibited from using background checks for discriminatory purposes. This means a landlord cannot reject a potential tenant because of their race, gender, ethnicity, or family status. The landlord also cannot reject a tenant based on their financial circumstances or criminal record. A landlord must also provide the tenant with a written notice that a background check is being done and why it is necessary. Additionally, the landlord must provide the tenant with a copy of the results of the background check. The tenant has the right to dispute the accuracy of the background check results and the landlord has to take action if changes need to be made. Finally, a landlord must also give a tenant a written notice of the results of the background check and the landlord’s decision to accept or reject the tenant. The tenant can challenge the decision if they feel the landlord is in violation of the law. The landlord must provide the tenant with written justification as to why they rejected them.

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Are there any laws governing the use of tenant background checks?

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