Finding a safe and affordable place to live is essential. But if you’ve recently been denied a rental because of an inaccurate background check, you’re not alone — and you may have legal rights to compensation. At Jaffer Law, we help tenants across the country fight back against background check companies that report false or outdated information to landlords and property managers.
Our firm focuses on one thing: holding background check companies accountable under federal law. If your rental application was rejected because of a criminal record that doesn’t belong to you, sealed or expunged charges, or old, irrelevant data, we can help you correct your report and pursue financial damages for the harm done.
You Have Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), tenant screening companies — also known as “consumer reporting agencies” — are required to report accurate and up-to-date information. Many housing providers use third-party companies like CoreLogic, AppFolio, RealPage, RentGrow, TransUnion SmartMove, or CIC to screen applicants. These companies must follow strict rules when compiling your background report.
Common Violations by Background Check Companies:
- Reporting criminal records that belong to someone else
- Failing to remove expunged, sealed, or outdated records
- Listing evictions that never occurred or were dismissed
- Reporting wrong addresses or mistaken identities
- Not providing you with a copy of your report after you’re denied
- Not investigating your dispute in a timely or complete manner
When these errors lead to a denial of housing, it can be devastating — and entirely preventable. Fortunately, the law is on your side.
Jaffer Law Holds Background Check Companies Accountable
At Jaffer Law, we focus exclusively on helping consumers harmed by inaccurate background checks and credit reporting. If a tenant screening report wrongly cost you a place to live, we will fight to fix the record and get you paid for the damage done to your life, finances, and dignity.
Here’s how we help:
1. Free Case Review
We begin with a no-cost consultation. We’ll review your tenant screening report, your denial letter (if any), and correspondence with the background check company. Even if you didn’t receive a formal denial letter, we can still help.
2. Federal Lawsuit Filed Quickly
If we find that the company violated the FCRA, we move fast. We file a federal lawsuit and seek to recover compensation for you — often without you ever needing to go to court. We typically sue the consumer reporting agency, not the landlord, unless the landlord also broke the law.
3. You Pay Nothing Unless We Win
We handle every case on a contingency fee basis — which means you don’t pay us a penny unless we win. And under the FCRA, we seek to have the background check company pay your legal fees and court costs.
You May Be Entitled to Significant Compensation
Tenants harmed by background check errors may be eligible for:
- Actual damages: for lost housing, increased rental costs, emotional distress, or relocation expenses
- Statutory damages: up to $1,000 per violation
- Punitive damages: for willful or reckless conduct
- Attorney’s fees and litigation costs
Even if the apartment wasn’t ideal — or if you found another place later — you may still have a valid claim for compensation. You don’t have to prove you were perfect, just that false information wrongly harmed you.
Act Fast — There Are Time Limits
You generally have two years from the date you discovered the error to file a lawsuit under the FCRA. Many people don’t realize this until it’s too late. That’s why it’s important to contact a knowledgeable consumer protection attorney as soon as possible.
At Jaffer Law, we handle FCRA housing denial cases nationwide. Whether you’re in California, Illinois, Texas, Florida, or anywhere in the U.S., we are here to help.
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Jaffer Law. When Background Checks Go Wrong, We Make It Right.