PTSR state laws

Screening rules are local. Clarity should travel.

Explore seven state guides covering reusable tenant reports, disclosure obligations, report age, application-fee rules and recipient access. Each guide links to the governing statute or official state resource.

State-by-state context
Primary-source references
Renter & landlord perspectives

Choose your state

Find the rules that affect your application.

Terminology differs by state. Rhode Island and New York primarily address screening fees and applicant-provided documents; the other states define portable or reusable screening-report frameworks.

7 state guides

Colorado

Portable tenant screening reports. Qualifying reports, 30-day freshness, free landlord access, and renter attestation are central to the framework.

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Illinois

Reusable tenant screening reports. A report generally must be prepared within 30 days, include the landlord’s consistently used criteria, and be available at no cost.

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California

Reusable tenant screening reports. Landlord acceptance is optional; when a participating landlord accepts a qualifying report, it cannot charge an application screening or access fee.

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Washington

Comprehensive reusable tenant screening reports. The law requires advance screening disclosures and a statement of the landlord’s acceptance policy; acceptance itself is not universally mandatory.

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Maryland

Reusable tenant screening reports. A qualifying CRA report prepared within 30 days must include extensive screening information; landlords that accept it cannot charge an application or access fee.

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Rhode Island

Rental application fees and reusable reports. Landlords generally cannot charge a rental application fee and cannot charge for certain applicant-provided screening documents issued within 90 days.

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New York

Applicant-supplied reports and screening fees. For most residential applications, credit/background-check reimbursement is capped at the lesser of actual cost or $20, and waived for applicant-supplied reports within 30 days; statutory exceptions exist.

Explore New York law

Important distinction

A digital report is not automatically a legally qualifying portable or reusable tenant screening report. Origin, content, date, applicant consent and the jurisdiction’s statute must be evaluated. These guides are educational and do not substitute for legal advice.

Freshness matters

Several states specify 30-day report conditions; Rhode Island’s specific applicant-provided documents rule uses 90 days. Check the current-through date and type of report.

Acceptance policies differ

Colorado generally requires qualifying report acceptance subject to an exception. California gives landlords a choice. Washington and Maryland require acceptance-policy disclosure.

Before publication

State law guides need qualified legal review.

State-law information is educational, not legal advice. Qualified legal review is required before these pages are published or relied on.