Bill > S840

This bill amends existing Massachusetts law, specifically Chapter 186, Section 15B, to regulate application screening fees charged by landlords to prospective tenants. The key provision allows landlords to charge a fee to cover the actual costs associated with obtaining and evaluating information about an applicant, such as personal references and consumer credit reports, which are reports detailing an individual's credit history. This fee is only permissible if a rental unit is available within a reasonable timeframe, and it cannot exceed the actual expenses incurred by the landlord, including out-of-pocket costs for tenant screening services or credit reporting agencies, and the reasonable value of the landlord's or their agent's time spent on the screening process. Crucially, the bill caps this application screening fee at fifty dollars ($50) per individual applicant who will be financially obligated under a lease, and landlords must provide a receipt for any fee collected.