Comments:

Dear Sir(s): I am a landlord...but first a citizen. I applaud the efforts of the FTC recently but believe it needs to go MUCH further. I have had tenants that DO NOT want to give out their social security number but feel compeled to or they are denied housing due to "unable to run a credit report" or due to "insufficient credit history." Even this regulation implies that this is required. Foreign students, wives and children of diplomats, many fundamentalist Christians, the Amish, and the illegal aliens in our country DO NOT have SSN's. By making it a requirement (or ITIN's), we are encouraging their abuse! How many pocket book, duplicate and fraudelant SSN's are in use? Individuals should have a right to access their credit reports in the same manner as any other citizen without being compelled or required to release their SSN, if they have one. Despite the fact the the three major credit bureaus DO NOT absolutely require a SSN (although I have found that TransUnion did lie and tell me it WAS REQUIRED and that a credit report couldn't be done w/o one...after 15 minutes on the phone they gave in.)...I have only found one third party that will do a credit check w/o the SSN. This is unfair to both the tenant and the landlord! Housing is a basic right no matter who you are ...and one should not be compelled to "INVENT" a SSN/ITIN. Therefore, I would reccommend that the word "optional" or a small disclaimer be included either on the form itself or in the law. I know that the credit bureaus would say they can't do it without the SSN. I also know that it isn't true. Other countries and large database providers do. Move us a step away from instead of a step closer to a "national ID" as the SSN is becoming. Thank you