Tenant Fair Chance Act Passed By City Council

On February 11, 2010, the New York City Council passed the Tenant Fair Chance Act, which protects prospective tenants from inaccurate court docket reports. In New York City, tenants sued in Housing Court are put on court docket reports, which are used by many landlords in considering applications. In many cases, these docket reports are effectively blacklists. Unlike credit reports, these lists are not based on Social Security Numbers but rather on the tenant’s name, and landlords are not required by federal law to provide a copy of the report to the prospective tenant. These factors make the system relatively unreliable. The Tenant Fair Chance Act requires landlords to provide prospective tenants with the names and addresses of any screening companies they use. The City Council hopes that the law will give tenants a way to make sure renting decisions are made with accurate information.