The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs recently introduced a feature that allows D.C. renters to research information about prospective landlords. The tool is free to use, and can be easily accessed on the DCRA’s website. With the new database, D.C. landlords must remain transparent and aware of their own violations, switching the focus off of the renter’s criminal history and onto the landlord’s unsuitable leasing record.
Landlords have never been shy to run background checks on prospective renters. Individuals with criminal records have always been at high risk of being denied housing. Now, renters are able to access relevant information before making leasing decisions. Accessible information includes crucial housing violations like failure to secure a lock, failure to fix doors, failure to repair appliances, failure to provide extermination services, failure to provide working windows—information far more concerning than a renter’s nonviolent offense. It is unfair of landlords to continuously deny housing to individuals with a criminal record when their violations are far more relevant in signing decisions. Instead of unreasonably stressing clear criminal records for renters, the stress is finally being shifted towards the unsatisfactory leasing records of discredited landlords.
Don’t let your criminal record keep you from finding stable housing. At Easy Expunctions, we can wipe your record clean at an affordable price. For more information regarding a hassle-free expunction process, visit our website at EasyExpunctions.com or give us a call at (877) 798-9486.
