If you’re looking for a new place to live, but don’t want to deal with the hassles and complexities of renting an apartment, a felon-friendly apartment might be an option for you. Unlike other apartments, a felony approved apartments near me does not require a background check. Because they are a new category, they may have a waiting period. You’ll want to avoid these apartments.
Felony-approved apartments are not a law
While obtaining a rental property is not a crime, many apartment complexes list “Felony-Friendly” in their listings. Such an apartment does not require a criminal background check. In some cases, landlords list felon-friendly apartments under other names, such as “Second Chance” apartments. A real estate website, recently launched a community pillars program to help people with felony convictions find housing faster.
If you’re a felon and want to rent an apartment, you’ll have to work harder than you think. Large apartment complexes are generally not receptive to housing a felon. This is because the apartment complexes are owned and operated by large property management companies and run background checks on prospective tenants. However, these communities’ HUD-affiliated housing programs are a notable exception. Alternatively, you can check out Craigslist and look for apartments that are owned by individual landlords.
House Bill 15-10 limits landlords’ liability for letting convicted felons live in the apartment. However, landlords are still permitted to reject felons. If you find an apartment that is not felon-friendly, you will be notified by the FFHA. The FFHA will write a letter to the property owner arguing that it is illegal to reject someone with a felon conviction. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, or sex, but blanket bans on renting to felons are not specifically prohibited.
They don’t run a criminal background check
Many felons find themselves looking for apartments for rent because they have few housing options and are often on a budget. Oftentimes, an application will require basic information, including a driver’s license, social security number, and current address. Some apartment complexes will also require a history of five years’ residence. This way, they can make sure there are no previous evictions or negative rental records.
If you don’t want to deal with a background check, consider looking for apartments that accept felons. You can often find a few of these places on Craigslist, since most of the advertisers are small-time landlords. You can also talk to the landlords directly if you have a criminal background to learn more about their policies. In addition to Craigslist, you can also search individual landlord listings on Zillow and Realtor.
They can be sublet
If you’re a felon looking for housing, you can try Craigslist to find apartments that allow felony tenants. Many landlords use this site to advertise their apartments, and many of them don’t do background checks. That’s okay–talk to them about running a background check first. But even if you’re not interested in a private landlord, you can find listings on Zillow or Realtor.
You can also contact the apartment management company for information about subletting. There are also some restrictions when it comes to subletting a Felony-approved apartment. For one, you have to pay a fee, but the company will take on all responsibility for your apartment, making payments to your landlord on your behalf. And you must give the subletter a copy of your lease. This way, they know what the rules are, such as no pets or noise, and whether they can sublet your apartment.
They have a waiting period
Generally, if you are looking for a felony approved apartment, you will need to wait three to twelve months. This is because housing authorities will base your rent on your income, so you may have to wait longer than a year to get an apartment. Some housing authorities have a waiting period, but these are much shorter than the waiting period at HUD-approved housing.
In addition to a waiting time, some felony approved apartments also have certain requirements, such as the age of the conviction. For instance, you must have completed the sentence at least five years ago, although some housing authorities require a ten-year period. Applicants with a certificate of compliance or rehabilitation program may be able to qualify before the waiting period begins. In addition, some crimes are prohibited by the housing authority, including violent crimes, fraud, or drug trafficking. If you’re unsure if you’re eligible, contact your local housing authority and learn more about the requirements and the waiting period.