Senate Bill 1063 aims to prohibit landlords from charging application fees to prospective tenants and modifies existing regulations regarding credit and background check fees. The bill defines an "application fee" as any charge imposed by a landlord for reviewing a rental application, explicitly excluding authorized fees for credit and background checks. It mandates that landlords cannot charge an application fee or accept earnest money that includes such a fee. Additionally, the bill allows landlords to charge prospective tenants for credit and background checks but requires them to notify tenants of the proposed charges and provide an opportunity for tenants to submit their own reports that are less than six months old.

The bill also introduces specific requirements for landlords when they charge for credit and background checks. Landlords must provide a copy of the obtained reports to prospective tenants within seven business days and must offer the reports in the format requested by the tenant. The amendments to current law include changes to the time frame for acceptable credit and background check reports, extending it from 30 days to six months. Overall, the bill seeks to enhance tenant protections and transparency in the rental application process.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 704.085(1), 704.085