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February 2011 Issue
In this month's newsletter, we discuss national sex offender data as it applies to multifamily operators. Where does this data come from? What are the best practices for incorporating sex offender data into your comprehensive screening process?
The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (QHWRA) prohibits the admission of lifetime registered sex offenders to federally assisted housing. In response to this legislation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) clarified and established rigorous sex offender screening protocols.
With over 700,000 registered sex offenders living in the US, there was a need to consolidate these records into a publicly accessible national database. A cooperative effort between the federal government and independent jurisdictions hosting sex offender registries has created a national sex offender database. This database, commonly known as the Dru Sjodin national sex offender list, is comprised of aggregated data from all 50 states and is available online. However, sex offender data is regulated and maintained at the state (jurisdiction) level, meaning that different state regulatory policies impact the consistency of national sex offender data resulting in slight variations in data available to the public depending on the state.
With full public access to a national database of registered sex offenders, how exactly are property managers using this data to screen their applicants?
Regardless of property type, almost all management companies will set screening criteria to reject any applicant that is listed on the national sex offender registry. There may, however, be exceptions to this industry-wide practice when property management companies must adjust their screening criteria to accommodate state-specific laws or regulations regarding the use of sex offender data.
Standards for screening and rejecting registered sex offenders have been adopted by multifamily operators across the country to promote safe environments for their residents and their employees. Additionally, the risk of a damaged reputation for property managers and the financial consequences of a failed audit or lawsuit are monumental. By effectively using national sex offender data to screen your applicants both at the lease signing and lease renewal, such consequences can be avoided.
Complying with HUD guidelines is imperative to successful affordable housing management because violations could result in lost credit and subsidies, fines or other penalties. RentGrow understands the importance of these regulations and the need to have clear applicant screening files that document the national sex offender search was conducted on each applicant. Explicit evidence of a completed search is invaluable to property managers as HUD audit contract administrators require documentation that clearly specifies that a national sex offender search has been conducted for each screening performed.
Ultimately, using sex offender data to screen your applicants is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to help protect your bottom line, your residents, your employees and your communities' reputation. If you have questions or concerns about using sex offender data to effectively screen your applicants, contact your resident screening provider today.
© 2011, RentGrow, Inc., Resident Screening Experts. A Yardi Company. Sign up to receive "In the Know". For permission to reprint this article please send your request to newsletter@rentgrow.com.
If you have additional questions about other aspects of your resident screening strategy you can contact RentGrow at 1-800-RENTGROW (1-800-736-8476) or visit our website at http://www.rentgrow.com. | 
