Coast Property Management $1.4M Tenant Fee Settlement

Individuals who paid a tenant screening fee to Coast Property Management between April 28, 2017, and Feb. 10, 2023, may qualify to receive approximately $27.56 from a class action settlement. The settlement includes an estimated 30,963 class members.

Coast Property Management, operated by Hoban & Associates LLC and related entities, agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a class action lawsuit. The plaintiff claimed the company obtained information on prospective tenants and charged a tenant screening fee without first providing required disclosures in violation of Washington state law.

Who are the class members?

Class members must meet the following criteria:

• They applied to rent at any property in Washington state between April 28, 2017, and Feb. 10, 2023.
• Coast Property Management owned or managed the property or the company served as the landlord as defined by RCW 59.18.030(16) at the time of the tenant application.
• They paid a tenant screening fee to Coast Property Management or its affiliates during the qualifying period.
• RealPage Inc., d/b/a On-Site screened them, and they did not receive all of the tenant screening disclosures required by RCW 59.18.257.

How much are the settlement payments?

Cash payment: Each eligible class member will receive a cash payment from the net settlement fund estimated at $27.56.

No claim form required

Class members do not need to file a claim to receive a settlement payment. They can update their contact information online using the settlement claim ID from their settlement notice.

Payout options

• Digital payment
• Paper check mailed to the address provided

$1.4 million settlement fund breakdown

The $1,400,000 settlement will include:

• Settlement administration costs: $70,000
• Attorneys’ fees and expenses: $466,667
• Service award to class representative: $10,000
• Payments to eligible class members: Remaining settlement funds

If the number of class members exceeds 31,063, the defendant will add $27.56 per additional class member and increase attorneys’ fees by 33.3% of the extra amount.

Important dates

• Exclusion deadline: May 15, 2026
• Fairness hearing: June 26, 2026

When is the Coast Property Management settlement payout date?

The settlement administrator will issue payments to eligible class members approximately 30 days after the court grants final approval of the settlement.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

This class action lawsuit alleged Coast Property Management collected tenant screening fees and obtained consumer reports on prospective tenants without first providing the disclosures required by Washington law. The plaintiff claimed violations of the Washington Residential Landlord Tenant Act, the Washington Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Washington Consumer Protection Act.

Coast Property Management denies the allegations but agreed to settle to avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation. The settlement also requires the property management company to comply with tenant screening disclosure requirements under RCW 59.18.257 for all prospective tenants in the future.

Sources

1. Class notice
2. Settlement website FAQ page
3. Settlement agreement