Housing

Your housing-related information reveals sensitive details about your life and your family, affecting your ability to rent or purchase a home, secure insurance, or live free from invasive monitoring.

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Your Privacy Starts at Home

Renting or owning a home involves handing over your personal information—often without knowing exactly who sees it or how it’s being used. Non-compliant tenant screening, invasive surveillance technology, and certain insurance screening practices may impact people in ways that are difficult to anticipate or control.

Privacy violations don't affect everyone equally: lower-income and marginalized communities frequently experience harsher impacts.

We work to uncover risks and equip you with information and practical tools to challenge unfair practices, navigate your choices, and protect your rights.

What You Need to Know

Landlords generally can install surveillance cameras in common areas like entrances, hallways, laundry rooms, and parking lots, provided tenants are clearly notified. However, placing cameras or other surveillance devices inside your private rental unit without explicit consent may violate the law, including the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which prohibits unauthorized electronic surveillance (18 U.S.C. § 2511(1)(a)).

State laws also frequently restrict landlord surveillance. For instance, California's Penal Code § 632(a) requires "two-party consent," making it illegal to record private communications without consent from all parties involved. Illinois specifically requires explicit written consent before collecting biometric data through these devices under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14/15(b)).

Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), landlords who reject your rental application based on a tenant screening report must notify you, provide you with the report, and allow you to dispute incorrect information with the screening company.

Certain states provide extra protections: for example, California's Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act (ICRAA) places strict limits on the types of information that can be included, and mandates clear disclosure of tenant screening practices. New York and Washington also limit landlords' ability to look extensively into past criminal or eviction records.

Always request a copy of your screening report and promptly challenge any inaccuracies.

Insurance companies collect detailed personal information—including credit history, past insurance claims, and property information—to determine premiums or eligibility for renters or homeowners insurance. Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), insurers must provide clear privacy disclosures about their data practices and allow you to opt out of certain data-sharing activities with third parties.

In California, you have additional protections through the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Under the CCPA, you can explicitly limit how insurance providers share or sell your personal information. Always review privacy disclosures carefully, ask questions about data-sharing practices, and exercise your right to opt out of unnecessary or excessive sharing.

Landlords generally can share basic tenant information with third parties (such as contractors or billing companies) for legitimate property management purposes. However, commercially selling or broadly sharing sensitive tenant information without your consent may violate state privacy laws or your rental agreement.

California residents have greater protections under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), explicitly allowing tenants to opt out of commercial sale or sharing of their personal information. Similar protections are emerging in other states like Colorado and Connecticut. If you have concerns, clearly communicate your privacy preferences to your landlord or property manager.

Smart-home technologies such as smart thermostats, locks, or security cameras are becoming common landlord-provided amenities. While landlords can use smart devices such as thermostats, locks, or security cameras to manage properties and enhance security, they must respect tenant privacy. Typically, landlords must clearly inform you about what data these devices collect, how it is used, and obtain your explicit consent for any monitoring activities inside your home.

States have varying protections regarding smart-home devices. California require disclosure about data collection and grant residents the right to opt out of data sales and request deletion under the CCPA (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.100 et seq.). Illinois specifically protects biometric data through BIPA (740 ILCS 14/15), requiring explicit written consent before collection. New York City residents have the strongest protections under the Tenant Data Privacy Act (NYC Admin. Code §§ 26-3001 to 26-3007), which requires landlords of 'smart access' buildings to provide privacy notices, obtain tenant consent for data collection, limit use of collected data, and implement security measures.

If you suspect a privacy violation by your landlord, document the details clearly and notify them in writing immediately, requesting corrective action. If your landlord fails to respond adequately, consider filing a complaint with local housing authorities, state consumer protection agencies, or your state's Attorney General office.

Serious violations—such as unauthorized electronic surveillance—may justify legal action under state laws or federal statutes like the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Additionally, privacy violations linked to discrimination or harassment could implicate protections under the federal Fair Housing Act, enabling you to seek enforcement through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).