Tag: criminal background checks on tenants

Alameda County Approves Ordinance Barring Criminal Background Checks on Potential Tenants December 29, 2022 Alameda County in California recently passed a countywide law prohibiting criminal background checks on tenants. The first in the country, it affects public and private housing in all unincorporated parts of the county. This ordinance intends to reduce homelessness by curbing discrimination against formerly incarcerated individuals. This new legislation, also known as the Wilma Chan Fair Chance Housing Ordinance, passed with four votes and one abstain. However, it requires a second reading and vote before going into force and will take place in January. The name for this legislation honors the former Alameda County Board of Supervisors and California State Assembly member who passed away last year. This law applies only to the unincorporated parts of Alameda County, such as Fairview, Ashland, San Lorenzo, and others. Incorporated areas will remain unaffected. Meanwhile, Berkeley and Oakland, which lie within the county, have already passed laws prohibiting background checks on potential tenants. Access to housing has become increasingly important in the state as homelessness has reached catastrophic levels. This new legislation will allow the formerly incarcerated to acquire housing based on the strength of their rental applications, not their criminal history. The ordinance bans language in advertising that would indicate criminal records would lead to denied applications. It also prevents landlords from performing criminal background checks on potential tenants at any stage of the application process. This ban applies to public and private housing, with exceptions. For example, they may run criminal background checks when required under state or federal law. These exceptions include HUD housing and checking sex offender registries. Despite receiving support from advocacy groups for the formerly incarcerated, it has faced a fair degree of opposition. This opposition includes landlords who believe it will limit their control over their property. Landlords also argued that it affects their ability to maintain the safety of their property and other tenants. They emphasized that the compromised security could lead to increased liability. Regardless, the bill will take effect when the current countywide moratorium on evictions expires. This moratorium will expire at the end of April. In addition, the state of California is considering a similar statewide ban on criminal background checks for potential tenants. Stay updated on all the new rules of compliance with Pre-employ’s free news resources on FCRA, EEOC, and more. Contact a Sales Rep today for more information. Source

Tag: criminal background checks on tenants

Alameda County Approves Ordinance Barring Criminal Background Checks on Potential Tenants

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