Tenant Credit Reports

[consigliere]

Asa Aarons' column, Ask Asa, in the May 5, 2003 online edition of the New York Daily News, deals with credit and related reports that landlords can obtain about prospective tenants:
 
At lease a credit report lets landlord know score
 
Phil Williams knows what it's like to be misunderstood. He's a landlord.
 
"Contrary to popular belief, property owners have rights, too," the Queens man said. "Unfortunately, I really don't know how to protect them. For example, how do  
I check the credit of prospective tenants?"
 
Aaron Davis of Brooklyn is wondering the same thing. "Do I have to be some kind of member of the three major credit bureaus?" he asked.
 
No. Several real estate organizations offer individual landlords quick access to credit files on prospective tenants.
 
Attorney Mary Ann Hallenborg, author of both "The New York Landlord's Law Book" and "New York Tenants' Rights," and publisher of the Landlord-Tenant Practice Reporter, said that obtaining a credit report "is one of the most cost-effective expenditures a landlord can make."
 
The National Association of Independent Landlords supplies individual credit reports for $15 for a single applicant and $20 for married couples with the same last name. More comprehensive reports, which include a credit check, employment and income verification, and rental history, cost $25 for an individual applicant. Call the organization at (800) 352-3395 or visit its Web site at www.nail-usa.com .
 
The New York City Rent Stabilization Association offers a "court and credit" tenant screening service to both members and nonmembers. The service includes your choice of a New York State Housing Court Search, as many as three credit bureau reports, employment, income and/or current and prior landlord verification.
 
Hallenborg said an exclusive feature of the Rent Stabilization Association's services is instant access by Social Security Number to more than 900,000 cases of tenants who have been in Housing Court anywhere in New York State.
 
The cost depends on the scope of the report you select. For more information, contact the Rent Stabilization Association at (212) 214-9200 or on its Web site at www.rsanyc.com .
 
Landlords can shift credit report costs to rental applicants. Hallenborg said it's legal to charge a fee to process rental applications as long as it's reasonably related to actual screening costs.
 

[HardKnocks]

OK, so why do we tenants routinely get charged $50 for the landlord/broker to pull a credit report?

[jot0n0]

Bleary-eyed,

Cost of credit reports vary from one organization to another. There's also addtional cost for detail reports such as housing court search as well as criminal background check by state or nationally. And finally management companies throw in a fee for handling the paperwork. Credit/background report fee ranging from $35 to $75 is not unreasonable.

<small>[ May 06, 2003, 08:40 AM: Message edited by: John ]</small>