Updates

PRESS RELEASE: EPIC and Consumer Advocates Sue Tenant Screening Company for Unfair and Deceptive Algorithmic Practices

October 3, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) have filed suit against tenant screening company RentGrow for unfair and deceptive practices tied to their automated tenant screening reports.

The lawsuit, brought under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, alleges that RentGrow automatically generates tenant screening reports that contain serious errors and biases. These errors and biases can cause consumers across the District—most often those from marginalized populations—to lose out on housing opportunities through no fault of their own. Worse still, the complaint alleges that RentGrow neither vets the third-party information it uses to generate tenant screening reports nor monitors its services for errors and biases that could harm consumers.

The complaint also alleges that RentGrow deceives consumers and landlords alike about the accuracy of its reports, as well as its own efforts to protect consumer data under laws like the Fair Credit Reporting Act. As a result, consumers across the District are misled about their rights and left in the dark when they are denied housing opportunities, including housing through D.C.’s Housing Choice Voucher Program.

“In a city and a nation where it has become even more difficult to find safe and affordable housing, and where landlords have unfortunately grown dependent on tenant screening reports to make decisions about potential renters, RentGrow’s complete failure to collect and maintain accurate records has done enormous harm to District families simply seeking a decent place to live,” says Ira Rheingold, Executive Director of NACA.

 “Imagine being denied access to the home you deserve because a company you’ve never heard of churned out a specious background report based on defective data fed through a dubious algorithm,” says John Davisson, EPIC Director of Litigation. “This nightmare is a reality for too many District residents, who are forced to overcome RentGrow’s faulty screening system to access essential housing opportunities—a burden that falls heaviest on already-marginalized communities. It’s past time for RentGrow to clean up its act.”

NACA is represented by Richman Law & Policy and EPIC. The complaint is available here.

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About EPIC 

EPIC was established in 1994 to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age. Our mission is to secure the fundamental right to privacy in the digital age for all people through advocacy, research, and litigation. EPIC’s AI and Human Rights Project advocates for transparent, equitable, and accountable AI regulations. Visit epic.org for more information. 

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