SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1552        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 840

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to tenant screening fees.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1552        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 840

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to tenant screening fees.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 15B of chapter 186, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting at the end of section 1(b)(iv), the word:- "and,"

SECTION 2. Said Section 15B of chapter 186, is hereby further amended by inserting after section 1(b)(iv), the following new section:-

(v) an application screening fee to cover the costs of obtaining, reviewing and evaluating application information about the tenant or prospective tenant, including but not limited to personal references and a consumer credit report as defined in section 50 of chapter 93 about a prospective tenant who has requested to rent residential property, provided that a rental unit is available within a reasonable period of time.  The amount of the application screening fee shall not be greater than the actual costs incurred by the lessor to obtain, review and evaluate information concerning the applicant, including (i) out-of-pocket costs, including but not limited to the cost incurred to use a tenant screening service or a consumer credit reporting service, and (ii) the reasonable value of time spent by the lessor or his or her agent in obtaining, reviewing and evaluating information on the applicant. In no case shall the amount of the application screening fee charged by the lessor or his or her agent be greater than fifty dollars ($50) per individual who is applying to become a tenant with financial obligations under a lease.  A lessor or its agent shall provide a copy of a receipt for payment of the application screen fee.