The drumbeat to increase regulation of tenant screening continues, this time in Michigan.

On June 15, Michigan state Representative Brenda Carter (D-29) introduced House Bill 4818, which proposes to amend landlord-tenant act 1972 PA 348. Specifically, the amendment proposes to exclude the credit score of a prospective Michigan tenant from being a deciding factor in determining the prospective tenant’s eligibility for a lease. Under the proposed amendment “credit score” is defined as, “the numerical score ranging from 300 to 850 assigned by a consumer reporting agency to measure credit risk.”

As discussed here, state legislatures and federal agencies have become laser-focused on tenant screening. In February, the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau jointly issued a Request for Information, seeking public comment on the use of consumer reports and credit scores, criminal and eviction records, and algorithms in the tenant screening process.