FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act)

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a federal statute that regulates how consumer reports — including credit reports, screening reports, and background checks — can be obtained and used. For mobile-home-park operators, FCRA imposes three core obligations: get the applicant's written authorization before pulling a report, share the source of the report when adverse action is taken, and send an adverse action notice within 30 days when a report contributes to a decision. Violations can trigger statutory damages of up to one thousand dollars per violation plus attorneys' fees, and class-action exposure is significant for operators with poor compliance practices.