Meanwhile, in NYC...
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I do not think New York will completely ban criminal background check for prospective tenants. Most likely it will be a process restriction with limited exceptions like what New Jersey enacted recently.
New Jersey in 2021 enacted the Fair Chance in Housing Act which placed restrictions on landlord doing criminal background checks on prospective tenants:
https://www.lawgapc.com/blog/new-restrictions-on-tenant-background-checks-in-new-jersey/
”… The purpose of the Act is to reduce the amount of recidivism” amongst ex-convicts in the State of New Jersey. …*
… a landlord cannot require a prospective tenant to complete an application that includes any inquiries into the prospective tenant’s criminal record until after extending a conditional offer … The landlord must approve a prospective tenant’s application and then give the prospective tenant a conditional offer before performing a background check.
… there are two exceptions to this rule. At this first application stage, a landlord may consider if the applicant has ever been convicted of for the manufacture or production of methamphetamine on the premises of federally-assisted housing. A landlord may also consider if the applicant is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under the New Jersey sex offender registry. …”
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I wouldn’t be a landlord in NYC for love or money, but if I had to I’m sure I’d want to do the background check.
I’m just curious how the ex-cons experience it. Is it a minor annoyance that some buildings won’t let them rent there? Or is it so ubiquitous that they basically have to live with a relative?
