> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.rentzap.com/help-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.rentzap.com/help-docs/guides/criteria-building-guide/background-criteria.md).

# Background Criteria

### Overview

This section contains multiple settings related to criminal history screening. This is the most legally complex area of tenant screening.

⚠️ Critical: These settings are based on the HUD Disparate Impact Memo. We strongly recommend consulting with an attorney before making criteria more strict than our defaults.

#### Understanding Lookback Periods

Each criminal record type has a lookback period - how far back in time we'll consider that type of offense.

Example: If felonies are set to 7 years, we only decline for felony convictions within the past 7 years. Older felonies are not considered.

#### HUD Guidance

Our default settings follow HUD's guidance on avoiding discriminatory screening:

* Individualized assessment: We don't auto-decline for all criminal history
* Nature and severity: We consider what the offense was
* Time elapsed: Older offenses weigh less than recent ones
* Relationship to tenancy: We consider relevance to being a tenant

#### State & Local Overlays

⚠️ Critical: Many jurisdictions have laws limiting criminal history screening:

Examples:

* California: Fair Chance Act limits lookback periods and prohibited offenses
* Colorado: Limits on eviction and criminal history screening
* Oregon: Strict limitations on criminal background screening
* Washington: Fair Chance Housing laws

What we do: Rentzap monitors regulatory regions for your properties. We'll automatically apply any mandatory rules based on property location.

What you see: Mandatory overlays appear in your criteria with a note: "This is a mandatory regional rule" and cannot be edited.

Recommendation: When creating criteria, set your baseline conservatively (following HUD guidance). Let our system handle jurisdictional requirements automatically.