The Biden Administration recently announced it was considering several executive actions to expand protections for renters. But in most cases, states have some degree of protection in place.

The proposals on the table from Pennsylvania Avenue include standardized rental leases; grace periods for late rents; a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction; the sealing of eviction records; and a federal campaign to end discrimination against affordable housing voucher holders based on the source of income, according to Bloomberg. The measures came in response to a letter from Sen. Elizabeth Warren signed by 50 members of Congress calling for the president to issue an executive action ordering a cap on rent hikes in properties backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

But according to recent research from Freddie Mac Multifamily, seven states already have laws prohibiting a landlord's use of certain information, like a tenant's criminal history, when screening tenants, while three states have state-wide limits on rent increases. Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia prohibit or restrict the use of certain criminal history. And some state governmental agencies have recommended landlords follow such restrictions even when not required by state law.