Rejected as temp tenant for improperly done background check

[dan davis]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Portland

In Portland. Rejected as tenant after landlord used e-tenant.com for a search which pulled up the wrong person (a sex offender in Georgia,, he has same first and last name and birth year as me).

Have a text message thread and the rental application as evidence. In text message thread I show him that my middle name is different from the felon he found, birth date is different, description is different, address is different. Also pointed out the guy's face is in the sex offender registry and it's not me. Asked him to redo the background check, but he told me his wife was too freaked out. I informed him I thought he had a legal obligation to get the report from a CRA, but he won't do it.

This is for a temporary stay of one month. It's left me without a place to stay and quite a bit of distress.

With the evidence I have do I have any legal recourse?

 

[dan davis]

Forgot to mention. I paid $20 for the background check.

 

[dan davis]

Also he lives at the place. So he is a landlord + housemate.

 

[adjusterjack]

I informed him I thought he had a legal obligation to get the report from a CRA

He doesn't.

With the evidence I have do I have any legal recourse?

None.

It's unfortunate but othing illegal or actionable happened.

I paid $20 for the background check.

He paid for it too.

This is for a temporary stay of one month. It's left me without a place to stay and quite a bit of distress

Again, unfortunate, but nothing you can do about it.

He could have said no to renting to you even without a background check and you would be no worse off so don't blame him for your distress.

Make other arrangements, that's all you can do.

 

[STEPHAN]

Nothing you can do.

In future you might want to point out the difference in the middle name (without saying why) before the check is done.