If you know a prospective tenant has a relapse history and may not have been honest on the application, what is the most ethical action?

If you know a prospective tenant has a relapse history and may not have been honest on the application, what is the most ethical action?

• A. Inform the landlord about the individual's history of relapse to prevent harm.
• B. Keep the information confidential to protect privacy.
• C. Wait to see if an incident occurs before disclosing anything.
• D. Report to authorities.

Answer: (A)

The ethical priority here is protecting the safety of others when there is a credible risk. If you know a prospective tenant has a relapse history and may not have been honest on the application, informing the landlord about this history is the responsible action because it allows the landlord to assess potential risks to other tenants and to the property. Sharing this information helps prevent foreseeable harm by enabling informed housing decisions, while still keeping the disclosure focused on safety-related facts rather than exposing unnecessary personal details. Keeping the information confidential would prioritize privacy over safety and could put others at risk. Waiting to see if an incident occurs is reactive and could allow harm to happen. Reporting to authorities is likely excessive and could unfairly stigmatize the person—the landlord is the more appropriate party to handle housing risk with appropriate caution and privacy boundaries.

The ethical priority here is protecting the safety of others when there is a credible risk. If you know a prospective tenant has a relapse history and may not have been honest on the application, informing the landlord about this history is the responsible action because it allows the landlord to assess potential risks to other tenants and to the property. Sharing this information helps prevent foreseeable harm by enabling informed housing decisions, while still keeping the disclosure focused on safety-related facts rather than exposing unnecessary personal details.

Keeping the information confidential would prioritize privacy over safety and could put others at risk. Waiting to see if an incident occurs is reactive and could allow harm to happen. Reporting to authorities is likely excessive and could unfairly stigmatize the person—the landlord is the more appropriate party to handle housing risk with appropriate caution and privacy boundaries.