Washington has laws regarding notice requirements to prospective tenants and adverse action notices for prospective tenants that are denied housing. These laws can be found in RCW § 59.18.257.
Screening Of Prospective Tenants
Notice to prospective tenant.
Prior to obtaining any information about a prospective tenant, the prospective landlord shall first notify the prospective tenant in writing, or by posting, of the following:
- What types of information will be accessed to conduct the tenant screening;
- What criteria may result in denial of the application; and
- If a consumer report is used, the name and address of the consumer reporting agency and the prospective tenant's rights to obtain a free copy of the consumer report in the event of a denial or other adverse action, and to dispute the accuracy of information appearing in the consumer report.
Screening Costs
The landlord may charge a prospective tenant for costs incurred in obtaining a tenant screening report only if the prospective landlord provides the screening information above.
If a prospective landlord conducts his or her own screening of tenants, the prospective landlord may charge his or her actual costs in obtaining the background information only if the prospective landlord provides the screening information above. The amount charged may not exceed the customary costs charged by a screening service in the general area. The prospective landlord's actual costs include costs incurred for long distance phone calls and for time spent calling landlords, employers, and financial institutions.
Adverse Action Notice
If a prospective landlord takes an adverse action, the prospective landlord shall provide a written notice of the adverse action to the prospective tenant that states the reasons for the adverse action. The adverse action notice must contain the information in a substantially similar format, including additional information as may be required under RCW § 19.182 and available on LeaseRunner's Support Center.
