Louis et al. v. SafeRent

General FAQs

FAQs Regarding Effect of Settlement on Benefits

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General FAQs

1. What does the Settlement Provide?

   SafeRent has agreed to pay $1,175,000 into a settlement fund. This money was divided among the class members and was used to pay the cost of administering this Settlement. This fund was also used to provide up to $10,000 each to the two people who brought this lawsuit, Mary Louis and Monica Douglas. Members of the Settlement class “released” their claims as part of the Settlement, which means they cannot sue SafeRent based on the same conduct that led to this lawsuit.

   The Settlement separately provided up to $1,100,000 in attorneys' fees and costs. If the court does not award the full $1,100,000, any money left over will be added to the Settlement fund and distributed to class members. The Settlement also requires SafeRent to make changes to the reports that housing providers can request, so that it will not provide a SafeRent Score for applicants whom the housing provider reports are applying using a housing voucher.

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2. How do I know if I am part of this Settlement?

   You are a class member and part of this Settlement if:

   you were a rental applicant who used a publicly funded housing voucher and sought but were denied housing in Massachusetts because of your SafeRent Score at any property using SafeRent's tenant screening services between May 25, 2021, and April 25, 2024. This is called the "Income-Based Settlement Class,"

   OR

   you are Black or Hispanic and a rental applicant who used a publicly funded housing voucher and sought but were denied housing in Massachusetts because of your SafeRent Score at any property using SafeRent's tenant screening services between May 25, 2020 and April 25, 2024. This is called the "Race-Based Settlement Class."

   In plain language, if you were sent a notice by the Settlement Administrator, and you tried to use a housing voucher to get housing between May 25, 2020, and April 25, 2024, then you are likely covered by this Settlement. That is because SafeRent's records show that a housing provider where you applied for housing in Massachusetts received a SafeRent Score that was below the "accept" score set by the housing provider. If you are unsure of whether you are part of this Settlement, contact the Settlement Administrator at 888-344-0796 or at info@MATenantScreeningSettlement.com.

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3. How much will my payment be?

   Your payment amount will depend on several factors:

   • The payment amounts will depend on the number of class members who submit valid claims.
   • Those who are members of both the Income-Based Settlement Class and the Race-Based Settlement Class will receive a share of the Settlement that is 1.5 times the share for those who are members of only one of the Settlement classes.
   • The payment amounts will also depend on the number of awards and costs approved by the Court.
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4. I received an email from EpiqPay. What is the email about and is the email legitimate?

   If you received an email from noreply@epiqpay.com, it is because you were determined to be eligible for a payment in a class action settlement. The email you received has instructions on how to claim your payment. If you claim a payment, you will also receive one or more follow up emails from our payment partner, Tremendous, confirming where your payment is at in the process. Upon making your selection the payment portal will inform you when you should expect to receive your payment confirmation email from Tremendous. You should rely on the follow up email you receive from Tremendous to inform you of the timing of your payment. If you do not immediately claim your payment, you may also receive one or more reminder emails asking you to accept your payment.

   If you have any questions about the EpiqPay email you received, please provide us with your full name and current email address so we can look up your file. If a tracking number was listed at the bottom of your EpiqPay emails, please provide that information as well.

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5. How do I claim my EpiqPay payment?

   Claiming your EpiqPay payment is simple and easy. All EpiqPay payment and reminder emails contain a ‘Claim Payment’ link. As long as you click the ‘Claim Payment’ link before the payment expiry date listed in your email, the link will take you to a payment dashboard where you can choose your preferred method of payment. Then click your preferred payment method. Depending on the method of payment you choose, you may be asked to confirm your selection or provide one or two pieces of information so your payment can be processed. After that, you will receive a small number of interim notifications from our payment partner rewards@tremendous.com letting you know your payment is ‘in process’, and eventually you will receive a link to your payment card, if you chose that as your option. Contact information for our payment partner is available on these notifications, in case you experience any issues using your card.

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6. When will I receive my digital payment? / Why have I not received my digital payment?

   Emails regarding digital payments for this matter commenced on July 1, 2025, and digital payments will be available to claim through August 31, 2025. During that window, Epiq digital payment emails were or will be sent from noreply@Epiqpay.com, so please review your inbox for messages from that email address. Due to variability in individual recipient email account SPAM and junk security settings, users are encouraged to review their junk and SPAM folders in case the digital payment emails went to those locations.

   For Class Members who elected to receive their settlement payments in two equal payments, one in 2025 and the second in 2026, the second payments due in 2026 were issued on or before February 17, 2026.

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7. After choosing my preferred payment options, will I receive my payment instantly / immediately?

   No. Digital payments are processed quickly, but once a user selects their preferred payment option, it typically takes 2-5 business days for the value of the award to reach end user cards or accounts. Upon making your selection, you will start to receive a series of emails from EpiqPay and our digital payment partners, which will keep you apprised of the progress of your payment.

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8. How do I weigh my options?

   If you are a class member you have four options.

   1. You can stay in the Settlement and take action to receive payment
   2. You can opt out of the Settlement
   3. You can object to the Settlement
   4. You can do nothing

   This chart shows the effects of each option:

   	Do Nothing?	File a Claim?	Opt Out?	Object?
   Can I receive my settlement money if I…	No	Yes	No	Yes
   Am I bound by the terms of this lawsuit if I…	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
   Can I pursue my own case if I…	No	No	Yes	No
   Will the class lawyers represent me if I…	Yes	Yes	No	No

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9. How do I get a payment?

   The deadline to submit a Claim Form passed on September 3, 2024. The Court granted Final Approval of the Settlement on November 20, 2024.

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10. What are the Public Housing Agencies in the state of Massachusetts that may have approved and/or issued a voucher?

    A list of Public Housing Agencies that may have approved and/or issued vouchers in the state of Massachusetts is available here.

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11. Do I have a lawyer in this lawsuit?

    In a class action, the court appoints class representatives and lawyers—called Class Counsel—to work on the case and defend the interests of the class members. If you want to be represented by your own attorney, you may hire one at your own expense. For this Settlement, the Court has appointed the following individuals and lawyers.

    Class Representatives: Mary Louis and Monica Douglas

    Class Counsel: Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, Greater Boston Legal Services, and the National Consumer Law Center. You may find their contact information here.

    These are the entities that negotiated this Settlement on your behalf.

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12. Do I have to pay the lawyers in this lawsuit?

    You will not have to pay the lawyers directly. Attorneys’ fees and costs awarded by the Court will be paid by SafeRent, separately from the Settlement fund used to pay out class members' claims.

    To date, Class Counsel have not been paid any money for their work or out-of-pocket expenses in this case. To pay for some of their time and risk in bringing this case, without any guarantee of payment unless they were successful, Class Counsel have requested that the Court approve a payment from SafeRent to them of up to $1,100,000 total in attorneys’ fees and expenses. Attorneys’ fees and expenses will only be awarded if approved by the Court as a fair and reasonable amount. Any unawarded fees out of the $1,100,000 will be added to the Settlement Fund disbursed to class members. You have the right to object to the attorneys’ fees even if you think the other Settlement terms are fair.

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13. What if I don’t want to be part of this Settlement?

    The deadline to exclude yourself and object passed on September 3, 2024.

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14. How do I opt out?

    The deadline to exclude yourself passed on September 3, 2024.

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15. What if I disagree with the Settlement?

    The deadline to object passed on September 3, 2024.

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16. How do I get more information?

    Additional information about this Settlement is in the Settlement Agreement, located in the Documents page of this website.

    For information on the Final Approval Hearing, you may read the Final Approval Order located here.

    You may also contact the Settlement Administrator using the contact information here.

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17. Housing Voucher Verification Outreach Campaign

    If you submitted a claim to receive payment in the settlement of class action Louis v. SafeRent Solutions, LLC, Case No. 1:22-cv-10800, and received a text or email notification requesting documents, additional information is required to process your settlement claim.

    If you do not respond, you may not be able to receive payment. Please read the information below carefully.

    To include you in the Settlement, we must verify that you held a housing voucher during the Relevant Period. You may have authorized us to contact the Public Housing Agency (PHA) that issued your housing voucher and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, at this time, the PHA and HUD have not confirmed that you held a housing voucher. We are continuing to seek information from the PHA and HUD, but to ensure you receive a monetary award under this Settlement, you must provide documentation showing that you held a housing voucher at some point since 2020.

    Examples of acceptable documentation include the following:

    • an email from a government agency or public housing authority showing that you held a housing voucher
    • a rent share letter
    • a housing assistance payment (HAP) document
    • any other documentation showing that you held a housing voucher

    To ensure timely review, it's best to submit any and all supporting documents as soon as possible, or else you risk becoming ineligible to receive payment.You can submit documents the following ways:

    Email:

    Send your documents or forward relevant emails to the email address below. Please include your full name and Tracking Number which was provided in the email notice.

    info@MATenantScreeningSettlement.com.

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    Text:

    Text a photograph of your documents to 202-408-3742. Please include your full name and Tracking Number.

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    Mail:

    You can mail your supporting documents to the address below.

    If mailing your documents, please send copies only.

    MA Tenant Screening
    Settlement Administrator
    P.O. Box 2818
    Portland, OR 97208-2818

    We will accept documents in any readable form (photos, screenshots, PDFs, and photocopies are all acceptable). If mailing your documents, please send copies only.

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FAQs Regarding Effect of Settlement on Benefits

The following FAQs provide information regarding any effects the settlement payment(s) may have on your entitlement to certain benefits. If you have further questions, please contact:

Todd S. Kaplan
Greater Boston Legal Services
197 Friend Street
Boston, MA 02114
 GBLS-SafeRent-Settlement@gbls.org
 1-617-603-1734

If you are concerned about any award increasing your reportable income for various benefits, you may want to consider electing to receive your award as two payments, in two different years. This option is provided in Part 3 (“Payment Election”) of the Claim Form.

1. If I get EAEDC, will the settlement affect my benefits?

   Income: Yes, an award above $600, with some additional exclusions, will change your benefits, and all income must be reported to your DTA worker.

   For more information visit:

   https://www.masslegalservices.org/content/54-what-lump-sum-income-and-why-it-such-problem

   https://www.masslegalservices.org/content/55-does-dta-exclude-any-money-lump-sum-rule

   Asset Limit: There is no asset limit for people who get EAEDC, except if you are in a rest home.

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2. If I get TAFDC, will the settlement affect my benefits?

   Income: Yes, an award above $600, with some additional exclusions, will change your benefits, and all income must be reported to your DTA worker.

   For more information visit:

   https://www.masslegalhelp.org/public-benefits-ssi/tafdc/76-what-lump-sum-income-and-why-it-problem

   https://www.masslegalhelp.org/public-benefits-ssi/tafdc/77-can-you-exclude-any-money-lump-sum-rule

   Asset Limit: There is no asset limit for Massachusetts TAFDC.

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3. If I get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), will the settlement affect my benefits?

   Income: Yes, the settlement payment will be counted as income in the month you receive it, and all income must be reported to the Social Security Administration.

   Asset Limit: The month after you receive the settlement, any money you still have left over will be considered a resource. If you have a total of $2,000 in resources, including the amount you get from the settlement at any time ($3,000 for a couple), your SSI benefits will stop for any month that you have more than this amount of money.

   The settlement payment can be spent on items or services for you, including pre-paid rent, etc. You may be penalized if you transfer the money or spend it on someone else. If spent down in the month of receipt, the impact of the settlement payment is only on your benefit for the month you receive it.

   TIP: Put the settlement payment in a separate bank account and keep receipts to show the Social Security Administration where the money was spent.

   Here is a good explanation of how this works:

   https://www.planforsettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/Spend-Down-Guidelines-to-Preserve-Medicaid-or-SSI-180426.pdf

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4. Will the settlement affect my SNAP (Food Stamps)?

   Income: The settlement does not count as income for SNAP.

   Asset Limit: For most people, the settlement will not affect your eligibility for SNAP. But, if a member of your household has been sanctioned or disqualified for violating a program rule or if you are age 60 or older or have disabilities and your income is above 200% of the federal poverty level (for example, $2,510 per month for a household of one, $3,407 for a household of two), then you need to look at this webpage to determine whether the settlement will change your SNAP benefits:

   https://www.masslegalhelp.org/public-benefits-ssi/snap-food-benefits/63-when-do-assets-count

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5. Will the settlement affect my Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter benefits?

   Income: If you are in a shelter or receiving Emergency Assistance (EA) benefits and you receive the settlement and you have other income, you should check this resource to see if the settlement will affect your eligibility for Emergency Assistance (EA):

   https://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing-apartments-shelter/emergency-shelter/what-ea-income-limit

   Asset Limit: If the settlement together with your other assets is more than $5,000, your eligibility for EA shelter benefits may be impacted. You should check this resource to see if the settlement will affect your eligibility for Emergency Assistance:

   https://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing-apartments-shelter/emergency-shelter/what-asset-limit-ea

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6. Will the settlement affect my MassHealth benefits?

   Income: The settlement will be considered income only in the month you receive the settlement, so your eligibility for MassHealth may be impacted in the month you receive the settlement payment.

   Asset Limit: For most people, the settlement will not be considered an asset, but if you are 65 or older and living in a nursing home or similar facility, it could be treated as an asset if your family’s total assets are greater than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.

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7. Will the settlement affect my Massachusetts health insurance subsidy?

   If you do not have MassHealth but do get a subsidy for other health insurance, the settlement may be considered part of your annual income for determining how much of a subsidy or help you get for health insurance.

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8. Will the settlement change my Medicare benefits?

   No, the settlement will not change your Medicare Benefits.

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9. Will the settlement change my Section 8 benefits or my current federal public housing?

   Income: The settlement is a “civil rights settlement,” and is not income under federal law.

   Asset Limit: If the settlement will push your assets above $100,000, check with your housing authority. Different housing authorities have different policies on how to handle assets above $100,000.

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10. Will the settlement change my federal public housing or Section 8 eligibility as an applicant for either program?

    Income: If you are applying to federal public housing or the Section 8 program, the settlement does not count as income as it is a “civil rights settlement,” and is not income under federal law.

    Asset Limit: If you are applying to federal public housing or the Section 8 program, there is an asset limit of $100,000, so if the settlement puts you over this limit, it may make you ineligible for these programs. But if your housing authority is a “Moving to Work” housing authority, check with them to see if there are different rules.

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11. Will the settlement affect my state mobile voucher (AHVP or MRVP)?

    Income: The settlement is not considered income for the AHVP or MRVP voucher programs

    Asset Limit: There is no asset limit for the Massachusetts AHVP voucher program. For the MRVP program, there is an asset limit of $25,000 or 1.5 times the total (gross) household income, whichever is higher, for applicants. There is no asset limit for people already receiving MRVP.

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12. Will the settlement affect my Massachusetts state assisted public housing?

    Income: The settlement is not considered income for Massachusetts state assisted public housing.

    Asset Limit: There is no asset limit for Massachusetts state assisted public housing.

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