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Screening for Suitability as a Tenant [24 CFR 982.307] SARA has no liability or responsibility to the owner for the family's behavior or suitability for tenancy. SARA will not conduct additional screening to determine whether an applicant is likely to be a suitable tenant. The owner is responsible for screening and selection of the family to occupy the owner's unit. SARA will inform the owner that screening and selection for tenancy is the responsibility of the owner. An owner may consider a family's history with respect to factors such as: payment of rent and utilities, caring for a unit and premises, respecting the rights of other residents to the peaceful enj oyment of their housing, criminal activity that is a threat to the health, safety or property of others, and compliance with other essential conditions of tenancy. HUD requires SARA to provide prospective owners with the family's current and prior address (as shown in PHA records) and the name and address (if known) of the owner at the family's current and prior addresses. HUD permits SARA to provide owners with additional information, as long as families are notified that the information will be provided, and the same type of information is provided to all owners. SARA may not disclose to the owner any confidential information provided in response to a request for documentation of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking except at the written request or with the written consent of the individual providing the documentation [24 CFR 5.2007(a)(4)] . SARA will inform owners of their responsibility to screen prospective tenants, and will provide owners with the required known name and address information, at the time of the initial HQS inspection or before. SARA will not provide any additional information to the owner, such as tenancy history, criminal history, etc. 3-III.E. CRITERIA FOR DECIDING TO DENY ASSISTANCE Evidence [24 CFR 982.553(c)] SARA will use the concept of the preponderance of the evidence as the standard for making all admission decisions. Preponderance of the evidence is defined as evidence which is of greater weight or more convincing than the evidence which is offered in opposition to it; that is, evidence which as a whole shows that the fact sought to be proved is more probable than not. Preponderance of the evidence may not be determined by the number of witnesses, but by the greater weight of all evi ence. Consideration of Circumstances [24 CFR 982.552(c)(2)] HUD authorizes SARA to consider all relevant circumstances when deciding whether to deny assistance based on a family's past history except in the situations for which denial of assistance is mandated (see Section 3-III.B). SARA will consider the following factors prior to making its decision: The seriousness of the case, especially with respect to how it would affect other residents The effects that denial of assistance may have on other members of the family who were not involved in the action or failure Page 3 -19 ~~02~2012