Can A Felon Secure An Apartment In Texas? Exploring Housing Options

Can an apartment in Texas reject your rental application due to prior misdemeanors or felonies? In prominent cities like Dallas or Denton, it’s important to note that your ability to rent an apartment can indeed be influenced by your criminal record. Specifically, if you have had a misdemeanor within the past five years or a felony within the last seven years, whether it resulted in a conviction, a deferred sentence, or was dismissed, you may face challenges securing a rental property. This policy reflects the considerations that landlords in these areas take into account when evaluating potential tenants, and it was applicable as of December 13, 2018.

How Many Years Back Do Texas Apartments Check Criminal History?

When it comes to conducting criminal history checks for apartment rentals in Texas, it’s crucial to understand the time frames dictated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This federal law governs background checks for apartments and provides specific guidelines for reporting various types of information.

Firstly, the FCRA permits the reporting of credit history for a duration of seven years, while bankruptcy information can be reported for up to ten years. However, with respect to criminal records, the FCRA imposes limitations. Only criminal convictions that occurred more than seven years ago can be included in background reports for apartment applicants.

In essence, if you’re applying for an apartment in Texas, the FCRA restricts the inclusion of criminal convictions on your background check report to those that occurred more than seven years prior to the application date. This information is essential for tenants and landlords alike to ensure a fair and accurate assessment of an applicant’s criminal history during the rental application process. Please note that these regulations were last checked and confirmed as of October 3, 2022.

What criteria can prevent you from securing housing in Texas? There are several factors that may disqualify an individual from obtaining housing in the state. These include:

1. Criminal Offenses: One of the key disqualifying factors is involvement in certain types of criminal activities. These offenses encompass drug-related crimes, violent crimes, or any other criminal behavior that could potentially jeopardize the safety, well-being, or peaceful coexistence of fellow residents or Public Housing Authority (PHA) employees. Importantly, the PHA evaluates both arrests and convictions that have occurred within the past 5 years.

2. Impact of Expunged or Dismissed Convictions: You may wonder about the status of convictions that have been dismissed or expunged from your record. It’s important to note that the PHA takes into consideration your entire criminal history, including any past convictions that have been expunged or dismissed when assessing your eligibility for housing in Texas.