How to Rent an Apartment With a Felony in Texas

How Texas apartments screen a criminal record

Texas law lets landlords consider criminal history when they decide on an application. Most large apartment communities run every applicant through a tenant screening system, and many of those systems are set to deny automatically when a record comes back. In that case, no one at the property ever reads your story.

Other properties set their own rules and have a person review applications. They may look at the type of record, how long ago it happened and what your life looks like now. The catch is that a property's screening policy is rarely posted on its website, so from the outside it is hard to tell which kind of property you are applying to.

Why applying blindly costs you

When you rent an apartment with a felony record in Texas, the biggest risk is not one denial. It is a string of them. Each application usually comes with its own fee, and an automatic denial does not tell you whether the next property will see things differently.

That is the problem second chance apartments for felons are meant to solve. A second chance property is simply one willing to look at the whole application instead of stopping at the record. Finding those properties is the hard part, and it is the part we handle.

What helps when you have a record

No single thing decides an application, but a few things tend to make a review go better. Your Counselor will talk through each of these with you so you know where you stand before you apply anywhere.

• Being upfront. A record usually shows up in screening, so hiding it tends to end in a denial later.
• Time. Properties that review records case by case often weigh how long ago something happened.
• Steady income now. Proof of current, stable income shows what has changed.
• A clean recent rental history. Paying rent on time since then speaks for itself.
• Applying in the right place. A property that reviews records is worth far more than ten that deny automatically.

How Done Deal Cosign helps you get approved

Since 2014, more than 10,000 Houstonians have been approved through Done Deal Cosign. We work with 96 Partner Properties, most in Greater Houston, and some of them consider non-violent records case by case. A Counselor reviews your situation with you one-on-one, then matches you with Partner Properties where your application has a real chance.

We also back your application with the property. That support, plus applying where a review is possible, is what makes the difference for many renters with a record. We cannot promise any property will approve you, and each one makes its own decision.

• Fill out the short form on this page or call 713-992-3000.
• Tell your Counselor honestly what is on your record and in your rental history.
• Complete the qualifying forms so we can review your situation.
• Get pre-approved, choose from our Partner Properties and sign your lease.

If a record is not your only issue

Many people we talk to have a record plus an eviction, a broken lease or an unpaid landlord balance. Our general guideline is two or fewer rental issues, such as an eviction, a broken lease or an unpaid landlord balance. If you are over that, call us anyway. Every situation is looked at individually.

What it costs and how the refund works

There are two fees: an Initial Fee and a Lease Assurance Fee. The amounts depend on your history and the Partner Property's rates, and your Counselor explains both before you commit. You complete the qualifying forms first, and if you are not pre-approved within 7 days, the Initial Fee is refunded.

Bilingual Counselors are available. Call 713-992-3000 or visit our office at 4600 Hwy 6 N #102 in Houston.

Frequently asked questions