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SB 372

Housing: landlord and tenants; reuse of certain tenant screening reports; allow. Amends title & sec. 1 of 1972 PA 348 (MCL 554.601) & adds secs. 1e, 1f, 1g & 1h.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rosemary Bayer and 5 co-sponsors

Michigan bill allows landlords to reuse tenant screening reports across multiple rental applications, potentially reducing repeated application fees for renters but raising questions about report currency and fairness.

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Bill Summary · SB 372

Legislative bill overview

SB 372 amends Michigan's Residential Tenancies Act to allow landlords to reuse tenant screening reports across multiple rental applications, rather than requiring new reports for each property application. The bill establishes conditions and timeframes for when previously-conducted screening reports may be accepted by landlords considering applicants for rental housing.

Why is this important

This legislation affects housing accessibility and affordability by potentially reducing application costs for tenants, who typically pay $20-75+ per screening report. However, it also impacts landlord practices and tenant protections by allowing older screening information to influence rental decisions. The policy balance between reducing tenant barriers to housing and ensuring landlords have current information is significant for both the rental market and housing security.

Potential points of contention

  • Staleness of information: Screening reports contain time-sensitive data (credit scores, eviction history, criminal records); allowing reuse raises questions about how old a report can be before it becomes unreliable for current rental decisions
  • Tenant cost burden vs. landlord liability: While reducing applicant fees benefits tenants financially, landlords may resist accepting older reports if they create legal liability or disputes over inaccurate information
  • Fairness and discrimination concerns: Establishing consistent rules about report reuse is necessary to prevent discriminatory application of this practice across different landlord classes or tenant demographics

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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