Background Screening

May is here and I have an update on a few of the legal issues we discussed last month. I thought it would be beneficial to discuss how to dispose of credit reports and other sensitive information contained in a background check.  As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, Colorado HB19-1106 has passed and will take effect August 2, 2019. RSI has received several calls from clients looking to add reference calls or run additional criminal reports so they can keep the application fees at a higher level. If you need to discuss any of these options, make sure to give us a call. Colorado HB19-1118 has passed and will go into effect once it is signed by the governor on May 12, 2019. This is the bill that changes the 3 days’ notice to a 10 days’ notice. It is recommended that you contact your attorney to review eviction time frames and make sure you have the correct legal forms. If you need an attorney referral, please visit the RSI website and use the Information Center tab. ...

If you are not paying attention to what’s going on with your state legislature, it’s time to wake up and get in the game. Rent Control was passed in Oregon and there is already talk about expanding it across the nation. Colorado moves closer to passing rental application reform with HB19-1106 and will impact fees and possibly time frames for criminal record usage. Recently the state of Oregon became the first in the country to implement a statewide rent control law. The new law prevents property owners from raising the annual rent more then 7%. Many groups are looking at this as a quick solution to provide affordable housing in markets all over the country. Rent control is under serious consideration by law makers all over the United States. If rent control legislation is passed everywhere it is currently being discussed nearly 1/3 of the country’s rental housing would be impacted by rent control. Advocates site California, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Washington D...

The Senate has scheduled SB 185 for the Senate Floor TODAY. Please contact these Senators below and ask them to VOTE NO on SB 185! This new bill aims to:1. Remove the requirement that a tenant must provide written notice to a landlord in the case of a breach.2. Expands the definition of a violation of the Warranty of Habitability.3. Adds new treble damages language. This bill would undo several months of negotiation that took place ONLY 17 MONTHS AGO. Those negotiations cost the taxpayers of Colorado upwards of $20,000 for mediation. This bill REMOVES KEY COMPONENTS that were negotiated to achieve a balanced policy for all parties involved. This bill removes the statutory requirement for written notice. Required written notice is a fundamental protection for both tenants and property owners. Since it is real and tangible documentation, it is easy for either party to prove that notice was given or received. A tenant can easily prove he or she gave notice if a property owner denies rec...