You found the unit, paid the application fee, and then the landlord said no. The reason was a RealPage or Leasing Desk screening report that showed an eviction or a criminal record that is not yours, or a record that should not have been reported.
That report is a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The company that prepared it has to follow reasonable procedures to get your file right. When it matches someone else's record to you and you lose housing, you may have a claim. In most FCRA cases the company, not you, pays the attorney's fees.
Attorney Nathan DeLadurantey represents Wisconsin renters against tenant-screening companies. Consultations are free. Call 414.377.0515 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Companies We See on These Reports
- RealPage, including reports issued under the Leasing Desk or LeasingDesk name
- AppFolio
- TransUnion SmartMove and other TransUnion tenant products
- Experian tenant-screening products
- CoreLogic
If the denial email names a different screening vendor, still send it. The legal analysis is the same.
How These Reports Go Wrong
A screening company attaches someone else's eviction or criminal record because the first name, last name, and age are close enough. It ignores a different middle initial or a different date of birth that is sitting on the public record. It reports a dismissed, expunged, or sealed case as if it were an open conviction. It lists the same case more than once so one incident looks like a pattern.
Wisconsin public records often show the mismatch on their face. If the registry page or CCAP entry used to deny you belongs to a different person, save that page.
What to Send Us Today
- The screening report PDF, not a screenshot of an email if you can help it
- The landlord's denial or "we are unable to approve" message
- Any pre-adverse or adverse-action letter
- A copy or screenshot of the public record you think they used, especially the middle name and date of birth
- Whether you already disputed with the screening company, and whether you had to move, stay with family, or take a more expensive unit
You do not have to finish a credit-bureau dispute before you call. If you already disputed with RealPage or the landlord's screener, bring that letter.
What These Cases Are and Are Not
These are accuracy cases against the screening company under federal law. They are not a request that we expunge a record that is actually yours. They are not a class-action signup page. If the report is accurate and complete, we will say so.
Cost
Consultations are free. In most FCRA cases the statute shifts attorney's fees to the company if you prevail, so you typically do not write a check to hire us to sue the screener.
Related Pages
- Tenant screening errors in Wisconsin
- Wrong criminal record on a background check
- Background check errors hub
Call 414.377.0515 or contact us online. Attach the report to your email if the form cannot accept a file.