How to rent an apartment with a felony

If you are looking for an apartment, one of the things you can expect is for the leasing office management to run a credit and criminal background check. In the last 10 years, this practice has increased and has even become controversial as some departmental offices are accused of frankly discriminatory behaviour. However, the practice of conducting background checks has become more widespread as technology makes it easier. Today, a leasing office manager does not need to make any phone calls, as all background information on a prospective tenant is quickly and easily available online at the touch of a button. If you have a criminal conviction for a misdemeanor, chances are you can still navigate through a background check because most apartment managers are actually looking for felonies and this is where it gets tricky. Can someone with a felony conviction be approved for an apartment?

A felony conviction is considered much more serious than a misdemeanor and may, in fact, result in the denial of an apartment or other housing where a criminal background check is conducted. There are many types of felonies, but apartments mainly refer to those that involve:

• Violence
• Sex
• drugs

These three types of felonies are considered serious enough for an apartment management to deny you housing. But is there hope? If you are currently looking for housing and have a felony conviction, the first thing you should do is come clean beforehand. Do not wait for the apartment manager to pull the record, but inform him of the existence of the record. This can be even more effective when you write down, in your own words, the circumstances surrounding the conviction. In many cases, this gesture can get you a thumbs up.

Another way to get approved would be to come up with a series of references. These should be people of good standing in the community, such as the local sheriff or fire marshal, the local pastor or bishop, an elected official, or other prominent figure. These references must indicate that they know him and attest to the fact that he is now a responsible person and that the episode surrounding his conviction is a thing of the past and is not likely to be repeated.

Finally, if you have a felony conviction, many apartments are willing to overlook it if it is something that happened in the distant past. They tend to frown on recent convictions and will be lenient with cases that happened years ago, as long as there were no recent incidents.

People with felony convictions can also secure a home by approaching private landlords. While some conduct criminal background checks, many do not.