The New York Times: A Way for People With Low Credit Scores to Raise Them

June 20, 2025 — Featured News

Appearing in The New York Times on June 20, 2025, Ann Carrns talks to Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at NCLC about how negative rent information can be disastrous for struggling families if they fall behind on their rent even once.

Landlords are unlikely to rent to anyone with a record of late payments or may demand very high security deposits, she said, potentially locking tenants out of rentals and even pushing them into homelessness.

“The risk of negative reports may dissuade tenants from exercising their right to withhold rent if, say, a unit has hazardous conditions or lacks heat.”

Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center.

One solution, the center has said, would be to ban the use of credit scores and reports in tenant screening, though efforts to adopt such policies in some states have not gained traction.