Virginia & Washington DC Tenant Screening Dispute Lawyer
In the State of Virginia, it’s essential for both the landlord and tenant to understand the importance of following the federal and state tenant screening laws. These laws are designed to protect landlords, while also ensuring prospective renters are not unduly discriminated against. At Blankingship & Christiano, P.C., our tenant screening dispute lawyers can help renters when they feel they have been denied housing due to an erroneous tenant screening report. If you feel an inaccurate screening report has caused you to lose an opportunity to rent, contact our team today.
What Is a Tenant Screening Report?
A screening report is a document landlords in the State of Virginia can run to determine if a potential tenant is qualified to rent from them. There is a broad range of information landlords may look to collect when running your tenant screening report. The most common information a landlord looks for in your report includes your credit and criminal history.
- Payment History – Payment history is especially important because it allows landlords to see all of the other outstanding debt you may have, including credit cards, car loans, student loans, and more.
- Bankruptcy – A screening report will provide your landlord with information about your credit score, including any bankruptcies you’ve experienced. Sometimes consumers have inaccurate bankruptcy information including accounts not reporting as discharged in bankruptcy or a bankruptcy reports on the credit file when the consumer never field bankruptcy.
- Evictions – Landlord will be able to access if you have been evicted from other rental apartments.
- Criminal History – Any misdemeanor or felony charges on your record will be made available to your landlord.
What Can I Do About an Inaccurate Tenant Screening Report?
If you’ve been denied housing due to an inaccurate screening report, it can be embarrassing and needlessly damaging to your reputation. The first thing you should do is contact the experts at Blankingship & Christiano P.C. We have helped clients throughout the Fairfax County area get the restitution they deserve.. An inaccurate tenant screening report is more common than you think. There are several reasons your tenant screening report may be incorrect.
- Mixed Files – When searching through criminal files across 50 states, many times, the wrong information will be provided for identically or similarly named people, resulting in reports on the wrong person. If the wrong criminal background report has been provided to the landlord, you may have a basis for a claim.
- Improper Criminal Filing – Updates to your criminal record may not always be reflected in your tenant screening report. An example of this will be if the felony charge has been reduced to a misdemeanor. Don’t let this error exclude you from renting your home.
- Reporting on an Expunged Record – Sometimes, an expunged record will not be inaccurately shown on your tenant screening report. In this case, we can help you collect damages.
Qualified Representation for Your Case
When it comes to protecting you, your family, and your future, you’ll need a capable and qualified team of credit report dispute attorneys to represent you. At Blankingship & Christiano, P.C., we have decades of experience successfully litigating inaccurate credit reports for our clients. If you feel as though you have been denied housing due to an error in your credit report, contact us today. When you choose us, you can be confident in our team’s ability to handle your case and get you’re the outcome you want.
