How to Get Yourself Off of a Renter’s Blacklist

There all sorts of ways to wind up on a renter’s blacklist–a list of tenants that most landlords will refuse to rent to under most circumstances. It can be tough to get your name off that sort of list, even if you didn’t do anything wrong. But it isn’t impossible.

When people talk about a blacklist, they’re usually talking about the U.D. Registry, or one of several other tenant blacklist firms. Landlords will report issues with tenants to a blacklist, allowing other landlords to easily reject potentially undesirable tenants. The problem with this system is that it’s very easy for a landlord to submit information that is incorrect, or at least a little biased. You can dispute information listed with the U.D. Registry and other agencies in writing. If the registry does nothing to help you, you have the option to sue.

That’s not your only option, though. You can always go back to the landlord who originally reported you to the blacklist. If a mistake was made, you can often straighten things out with a letter from the landlord. If there really was a problem, you may need to make some sort of amends–even if the situation wasn’t your fault.

Norman Rabek, a long-time landlord, has been known to rent to tenants he’s previously blacklisted: “I have rented to people that I’ve blacklisted before, but only if I know that the circumstances of their lives have changed: they are no longer with a self-destructive significant other, they are no longer self-destructive themselves, they have paid for any past due rent or damages and matured and gotten a job.”

If you know that a previous landlord might have added you to a blacklist, or will offer a poor reference for you, being upfront about it during the rental application process can help you. Explain the matter to your prospective landlord. You still won’t have the best chance, but you will improve your odds.

In many municipalities, landlords are not allowed to use a blacklist. New York City is one of those towns, according to landlord and real estate expert Laura Milkowski: “We do credit, background and reference checks so any nasty items on [a renter] will come up, but there isn’t a blacklist.” If you feel that you’ve been blacklisted despite laws against such practices in your area, contact your local housing authority or local tenants association.