Only in some states. Colorado requires most landlords to accept a portable tenant screening report and bars any fee to use it. Illinois bars a screening fee when an applicant brings a qualifying one. Washington makes you disclose whether you accept them, and California lets you choose. This is information, not legal advice.
What is a portable tenant screening report?
A portable tenant screening report is a screening report the applicant orders and pays for once, then shares with several landlords instead of paying a new fee at every application. The states that regulate it treat it as a consumer report from a screening company, prepared within the last 30 days, that the landlord can open at no cost.
The contents are set by statute. Colorado's definition in C.R.S. 38-12-902 lists name, contact details, employment and income verification, last known address, rental and credit history and a criminal history check, with the date the report is current through. California's list is shorter and adds an eviction history check.
Which states regulate portable screening reports?
Seven, as of the National Apartment Association's September 2024 count: Colorado, California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. They split into three kinds of rule, and a criteria sheet copied from one state to another will break at least one of them.
| State | Must you accept it? | What else applies |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Yes, unless you qualify for the exemption | No fee to access it; tell applicants their right before taking a fee |
| Illinois | No screening fee once a qualifying report is supplied | Effective January 1, 2025; your own report is at your cost |
| Washington | No, but you must disclose your policy | Say it in the screening notice and on your website home page |
| California | No, it is your election | Accept one and you cannot charge an access or screening fee |
Maryland, New York and Rhode Island also have portable report laws. Check each statute before you set a fee policy there.
What does Colorado require?
Under C.R.S. 38-12-904, a Colorado landlord shall accept a portable tenant screening report. You may require that it was completed within the previous 30 days, that it is available to you at no cost, and that the applicant confirms nothing material has changed since it was generated. You may not charge a fee to access or use it.
Before taking any step you would charge an application fee for, you must tell the prospect they can provide a portable report and that, if they do, you cannot charge them an application fee. The notice can go in your listings, on your website home page, on the application, or orally with written confirmation.
Two details matter in 2026. HB25-1236, in force since January 1, 2026, says an applicant renting with a housing subsidy need not include credit history or a credit score in the report, and it removed your right to insist the report come straight from the screening company. And a landlord who takes only one application fee at a time per unit, refunding it within 20 calendar days of a decision not to lease, is exempt from the acceptance rule.
What does Washington require?
Washington requires disclosure, not acceptance. RCW 59.18.257 says that before you obtain any information about a prospective tenant, your written screening notice must state whether you will accept a comprehensive reusable tenant screening report. If you advertise rentals on a website, the home page must say it too.
Missing the notice can cost up to $100 per applicant, plus court costs and attorney fees. The same notice is what lets you charge for screening at all in Washington, so a template that drops this line puts the fee at risk.
What does California require?
California Civil Code 1950.1 leaves acceptance to you, and says plainly that it does not require it. The trade comes after you say yes: if an applicant hands you a qualifying report, you may not charge a fee to access it or an application screening fee. You may ask the applicant to state that nothing material has changed, and a stronger city rule wins over the state one.
Where does this go wrong in practice?
At the first inquiry. A prospect asks "do you take my screening report?" before they ever see the application, and the answer depends on the state and on a policy someone set months ago. In Colorado a "no" can be unlawful. In Illinois a fee taken anyway has to come back.
Decide the policy per state, write it into your screening criteria, and give every prospect the same answer. LetHub is AI leasing software for property managers: it answers rental inquiries by text, chat, email and phone in about 30 seconds, day and night, qualifies renters, books tours and runs ID-verified self-showings, using the answers you set for each unit. For the fee side, see what you can charge for a rental application, and for denials, the three parts an FCRA denial notice needs. Book a demo to see it on your listings.
Portable screening reports: FAQ
Can I still run my own screening if I accept a portable report?
Yes, at your own cost. Washington lets you pull your own report as long as the applicant is not charged for it, and in Colorado, Illinois and California the point of the rule is that the applicant does not pay twice.
How old can a portable screening report be?
Thirty days in Colorado, Illinois and California. Colorado lets you require a report completed within the previous 30 days, and California defines a reusable report as one prepared within that window.
Do I have to accept one in every state?
No. Colorado requires acceptance, with its one-fee-at-a-time exemption. Illinois bars the screening fee, Washington requires disclosure and California leaves it optional. Check city rules too, since some go further.
Does a portable report change my denial notice duty?
No. If you deny or add conditions based on a consumer report, the federal adverse action notice still applies. Colorado also requires a written denial notice with the reasons, whichever report you used.
