If you are looking for an apartment, one of the things you can expect is to have the leasing office management run a credit check and a criminal background check. In the last 10 years, this practice has increased and even become controversial, as some department offices are accused of frankly discriminatory behavior. 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 the background information of a prospective tenant is readily and quickly available online at the touch of a button. If you have a criminal conviction for a misdemeanor, you can probably still go through a criminal 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 an apartment?
A felony conviction is considered much more serious than a misdemeanor and, in fact, can result in the denial of an apartment or other dwelling where a criminal background check is conducted. There are many types of felonies, but apartments are primarily concerned with those that involve:
- Violence
- Sex
- Drugs
These three types of felonies are considered serious enough that an apartment management will deny you a home. But is there hope? If you are currently looking for housing and have a felony conviction, the first thing to do is clarify it beforehand. Do not wait for the apartment manager to extract the record, but inform him of the existence of the record. This can be even more effective when you write, in your own words, the circumstances surrounding the conviction. In many cases, this gesture can get you approved.
Another way to get approved would be to come up with a series of references. They should be people of good repute in the community, such as the local sheriff or fire marshal, local pastor or bishop, an elected official, or other prominent person. These references should indicate that they know you and attest that you are now responsible and that the episode surrounding your conviction is a thing of the past and is not likely to be repeated.
Lastly, if you have a felony conviction, many apartments are willing to ignore it if it is something that happened in the distant past. They tend to frown upon recent convictions and will be lenient on cases that occurred years ago, as long as there have been no recent incidents.
People with felony convictions can also get a home by approaching private landlords. While some conduct criminal background checks, many do not.
