House Research Bill Summary

File Number: H.F. 166

Date: March 2, 2007

Version: First engrossment

Status: Public Safety and Civil Justice Committee

Authors: Lesch

Subject: Uniform Rental Application

Analyst: Jeanne LeFevre

This publication can be made available in alternative formats upon request. Please call 651-296-6753 (voice); or the Minnesota State Relay Service at 1-800-627-3529 (TTY) for assistance. Summaries are also available on our website at: www.house.mn/hrd/hrd.htm.

Overview

A residential tenant report is a communication by a residential tenant screening service regarding information about a prospective tenant intended to be used for the purpose of making decisions about residential tenancy applications. This bill would require that such reports be standardized to a form adopted by the attorney general when a landlord charges a screening fee. In those instances, the certified copy of the uniform tenant report would be "good" for 60 days. Subsequent landlords could not charge an additional screening fee during that period, except a $30 refundable update fee.

Section
1	Uniform tenant report required. This section provides that a landlord may not charge an applicant a screening fee unless the landlord uses the uniform residential tenant report described in section 2.
2	Uniform tenant report. This section provides that if a landlord charges a prospective tenant a screening fee, a uniform tenant report is required. The attorney general is directed to develop a form for the uniform tenant report. The applicant screening fee for the uniform tenant report may not exceed $50. A landlord is required to provide a certified copy of the tenant report to the prospective tenant. For a period of 60 days from the date of the application, any landlord who charges a tenant screening fee must accept a certified copy of the uniform tenant report and may not charge the prospective tenant an application fee, other than a $30 refundable update fee.