Here in Washington, there is such a thing as a "comprehensive reusable tenant screening report."  A tenant can pay once to request a screening report be prepared by a central company, who then makes the report available to landlords of the tenant's choosing online at no additional charge for 30 days.  With the tenant's permission, the landlord receives a password and can access the pre-prepared screening report online, eliminating the concern that the tenant may have doctored a copy of the report in his or her possession.  The problem is that the law does not require landlords to accept such a report.  I don't know how many do in this area.  All landlords are required to disclose whether they will accept such a report.  It's a great idea that would really help low-income and even moderate-income renters, but it hasn't quite caught on yet.  If there are landlords your clients encounter who DO accept these reports, I can give you more information.


Jennifer Ammons
Staff Attorney
Northwest Justice Project
715 Tacoma Avenue South
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 272-7879, ext. 0937
1-888-201-1015 (toll-free)
(253)272-8226 (fax)
www.nwjustice.org
www.washingtonlawhelp.org
 
Combatting Injustice • Strengthening Communities • Protecting Human Dignity​