Home > Research Legal Advice > Criminal Defense > Will I or can I rent an apartment with a criminal conviction.
Asked 4 months ago - Abilene, TX
FlagI have a criminal conviction from 1997 for a white collar crime. How long will this prevent me from leasing an apartment. I don't smoke, do drugs, no alcohol and I am not violent nor have I ever been. I do understand that the apartment communities have reason to be cautious but I have paid my dues. I am not on probation nor have restitution. I am trying to live a decent life. I'm considering the San Angelo area, Midland maybe. Would it be legal to deny my rental application
It is up to the individual apartment company & their rules; there is no law about it. (The only law is if they use a company to run criminal checks, the company is prohibited from going back more than 7 years.)
If you cannot find a place that is run by a large company, you should try finding a place owned by an individual with whom you can talk and explain. (You might provide a copy of your judgment on your case.)
Cynthia Henley
713-222-1220
I doubt there are any state laws prohibiting apartments from renting to convicted felons. Most likely, an apartment's decision to not rent to a convicted felon is based on their business model - they want to promote a certain image to their residents. You should just ask the prospective apartments that you are interested in renting whether this issue will preclude you from being allowed to rent with them.
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