Applying for a place

If a landlord uses a consumer report — credit, tenant screening, or similar — to deny housing, raise a deposit, or change terms, federal fair-credit law generally requires an adverse-action notice. That notice should tell you the screening company used, that you can get a copy of the report, and that you can dispute errors. HUD and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau both publish guidance on this.

• Keep the listing, the application, and every fee receipt.
• Keep the denial or 'adverse action' letter if you received one.
• Write down the date you applied, the date you were told no, and who told you.
• Ask in writing for the name of the screening company and a copy of the report.
• If the report is wrong, dispute it with the screening company and tell the landlord you have done so.

A common scam is a listing that asks for a deposit, a screening fee, or a wired payment before you have seen the unit or met the owner. The Federal Trade Commission documents how these work. Paying a fee to apply is sometimes legitimate; wiring money to a stranger to 'hold' a unit is a reason to stop and check.

If you already sent money, document the listing, the messages, and the payment, and report it through the FTC and your local police non-emergency line. 211 can also point you at local tenant and fraud resources.