Published
July 17, 2026
RentGrow, a company that sells tenant-screening reports to landlords, agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle FTC claims that its reports double-counted criminal and eviction records — making applicants look worse than they were. Important for renters: this is a government penalty, not a consumer fund, so there is nothing to claim. The useful move is to check your own screening report.
What the FTC Settlement Says
RentGrow, Inc., a company that provides tenant-screening reports used by landlords to evaluate rental applicants, agreed to pay $2.25 million to resolve Federal Trade Commission allegations that it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the FTC Act. The FTC alleged RentGrow failed to use reasonable procedures to ensure the maximum possible accuracy of its reports — specifically, that it did not prevent duplicate case records and multiple entries for the same criminal or eviction action from appearing on a single applicant's report.The practical effect, according to the FTC, was that applicants could appear to have more criminal convictions or more eviction filings than they actually did. RentGrow agreed to the settlement to resolve the matter; the allegations were not proven in court.
Status
Settlement Reached (July 2026)
Federal Trade Commission enforcement action · injunctive relief plus a civil penalty
Penalty
$2.25 Million
Paid to the federal government as a civil penalty — not a consumer redress fund
Can I Claim?
No — There Is No Consumer Fund
No claim form and no individual payout · the consumer benefit is the accuracy requirements imposed on RentGrow going forward
Why This Matters Even Without a Payout
It is easy to see "$2.25 million settlement" and assume there is money to claim. There is not — the penalty goes to the U.S. Treasury, and the FTC did not establish a consumer redress fund here. What consumers get instead is forward-looking: the order requires RentGrow to put reasonable procedures in place so the same case is not reported multiple times, which is meant to keep inaccurate records from costing future applicants an apartment.Tenant-screening reports carry real weight. Landlords rely on them to approve or deny applications, set deposits, and choose between applicants. When the same eviction or criminal case is counted twice, an applicant can be made to look riskier than their actual record — the precise harm the FCRA's accuracy rules exist to prevent.
What Renters Can Actually Do
Because there is no claim to file, the useful action is to check and correct your own tenant-screening file:• Request your report. Tenant-screening companies are consumer reporting agencies, and you can ask for a copy of the file they hold on you.
• Look for duplicates. Watch for the same eviction or criminal case listed more than once, records that are not yours, or outdated entries.
• Dispute errors. You can dispute inaccuracies directly with the screening company, which is required to investigate under the FCRA.
• Ask which report was used. If a landlord denies your application based on a screening report, you are entitled to know which company supplied it so you can review it.
For a related credit-reporting matter that did pay consumers, see the Equifax duplicate credit-reporting settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a consumer payout?
No. The $2.25 million is a civil penalty paid to the federal government, not a consumer redress fund. There is no claim form and no individual payment to renters.What did the FTC allege?
That RentGrow violated the FCRA and FTC Act by failing to use reasonable procedures for maximum possible accuracy — its reports included duplicate case records and multiple entries for the same criminal or eviction action, overstating applicants' records.What should I do about screening report errors?
Request your tenant-screening report, look for duplicate or incorrect case entries, and dispute inaccuracies with the reporting company, which must investigate under the FCRA.Sources
• FTC — RentGrow to Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FCRA and FTC Act Allegations• FTC — Case Page, United States v. RentGrow, Inc.
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Status
Settlement reached (civil penalty; no consumer fund)
Penalty
$2,250,000 (paid to the federal government)
Case Title
United States v. RentGrow, Inc.
FTC Matter No.
222-3002
Agency
Federal Trade Commission
Official Website
FTC Case Page — RentGrow
