In housing, The Registry[1] is a risk management tool used by landlords as a screening mechanism for prospective renters.
[2] Each registry automatically receives a notification from various metropolitan housing courts whenever any tenant is sued by a landlord.
Usually there is a period of time before those records become public, and if the suit is resolved before that, the names will not be listed.
In addition, there are procedures by which landlords can report tenants who skip or are habitually late paying rent.
Almost all landlords subscribe to these major registry services and screen potential applicants; many landlords will reject tenants on the basis of their presence in the registry, because the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior.