Criminal Background Checks

Nov 22, 2016

With criminal background checks, discrimination is a crime.

Criminal background checks are an integral part of resident screening. Landlords and managers who use criminal background checks as part of the tenant screening process may reject an applicant with a criminal record that shows any of the following:

• Conviction of any felony.
• Conviction of crimes against people or property.
• Conviction of crimes involving the manufacture, sale or distribution of controlled substances.
• Conviction of crimes involving solicitation or prostitution.

If you obtain criminal background checks and your rental criteria provides for rejection as noted above, consider these questions:

• Are applicants that have served their sentence still disqualified from consideration?
• Are applicants who have been arrested, but not yet tried, to be disqualified? In some areas, it can take months or years for a case to come to trial.

Remember, you must treat all applicants the same! You cannot pull a criminal history report for one applicant and not another who is applying for the same property.