Can a TX Apartment ban me because of my Criminal Issues? Isn't that Discrimination?

In Texas, apartment management companies have the discretion to establish their own rental criteria, which can include background checks for criminal history. 

While some misdemeanors may not automatically disqualify a potential tenant, others might, depending on the nature of the offense and the policies of the individual apartment complex.

It’s important to note that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. However, this federal law does not protect individuals with criminal records from being denied housing based solely on their criminal history.

Each apartment complex may have different policies regarding misdemeanors. Some may be more lenient, especially if the misdemeanors are non-violent, older, or if the individual has shown evidence of rehabilitation1. It’s advisable to check with various apartment complexes to understand their specific policies. Additionally, some legal resources may provide assistance or advice on how to approach renting with a misdemeanor on one’s record.

If you believe your rights under the Fair Housing Act have been violated, you can file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. For more detailed information, it would be best to consult with a legal professional or a tenant’s rights organization in Texas or look into an Apartment Locator that specializes in helping people with criminal issues. Copyright 2024, 24x7 Apartment Find and its associated web sites. 

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© Copyright 2024, 24x7 Apartment Find and its associated web sites.

Why don't I guarantee your acceptance into the Apartments?

 

5188729 © Janaka Dharmasena | Dreamstime.com

I start with the Information you give me, then:

• I look up the criminal but only where you tell me to search. If you tell me you were convicted in Texas, then I don't look in Indiana or Florida (or any other state)

• I depend on the amount of income you indicated, if it's low, I ask you if it was the GROSS (or pre-tax income) and not the NET (or paycheck income) but that's all

• Unless you tell me, I don't know if you had any Rental History problems like a broken lease or an eviction. I do tell you to run your credit report and will provide you how to run it, but it's up to you.

• I don't research a roommate or girlfriend or boyfriend or spouse unless you tell me

• I don't control the timeframe. What I mean is if I check out the place in February and you take that information and don't apply until June - the information I gave you in February will probably not be valid in June

I control only one part of the pie. You control most of it. I count on you to follow the steps I give you, including getting back to me on a timely basis.

That's why I can't guarantee acceptance.

5 Memories of Cases where I found a nice apartment when others couldn't

 

8655639 © Julie Flavin | Dreamstime.com

I have help hundreds of people with criminal issues including misdemeanors, deferred felonies and felony charges find nice apartments and townhomes.

I remember the situations and really don’t remember the names or dates.

Here are a few of the cases I will never forget:

·         1.  Man with POM felony from 25 years ago comes back to visit me.

o   He tells me that I found him the first apartment in those 25

Years to not be roach or rat infested

o   He suggests that there is a real need for this and I should consider this arena for my business

·       2. College guy with Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS) and parents can't to help him       find an apartment

f                    o   He was busted with less than a gram of cocaine and was given a short sentence                         but the real punishment was not being able to find housing

o   He was thankful and his parents were over-joyed

·     3. Man putting his daughter in college apartment had to be on the lease as a co-signer but he     was denied

o   Had to tell his daughter he had a POT conviction when he was in college

o   I had to find him and her a place that would deal with his felony even though it was almost 20 years old

·     4. Minister had a deferred adjudication because…

o   He took 3 people grocery shopping on a Wednesday

o   One of them left a baggie in his car with trace amounts of cocaine

o   Church stood behind him and I was able to help him

o   Later the deferred felony was discharged

·     5. Man celebrates his 21^st birthday then crashes into Sheriff wife’s car

o   Man picked the wrong car to crash into - the book was thrown at him!

o   Charge was Intoxication Assault; even after 7 years he had difficultly in finding an apartment

o   Found him a great place where he wanted to live and for the amount he wanted to pay

 

These are true stories, my memories, and I just might be able to help you too.  If you are looking for an apartment in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, the DFW Mid-Cities, Austin, San Marcos, or San Antonio, my service is free to you. Just go to my website AptFindCriminal.com and click on the FINDER FORM to submit your request.

 

 

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24x7 Apartment Find and AptFindCriminal.com present this as Real Estate information only. It is not legal advice. © Copyright 2024, 24x7 Apartment Find and AptFindCriminal.com. TX Broker #0573534 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

 

The 4 Big Questions for your Apartment Locator or Finder - Question 2 of 4

 

Question 2  

                                17064118 © Dmccale | Dreamstime.com

ASK "WHEN DID YOU START APARTMENT FINDING OR

LOCATING APARTMENTS?"

I'm referring to the person, not the business. Few apartment finders are successful while addressing criminal issues. I've been doing this since 2011. The majority of apartment finders are inexperienced in the industry and don't deal with these problems.  It's difficult—much more difficult than placing someone who has no problems at all or someone with only credit problems.

Find out—for example: you want the best physician available to operate on you, not an intern. You want to use the top apartment finder for Criminal Issues.

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© Copyright 2024, 24x7 Apartment Find & AptFIndCriminal.com. John is a TX Broker #0573534. John provides only real estate advice. This is not legal advice.

Will I be accepted -- Probation was Successfully completed and the Charges Were Dismissed

 

My Deferred Adjudication was DISMISSED. Will I still have problems?

Yes you may.  The charge will still appear in police records and on many public record databases. Even if the charge was Dismissed, many apartments require an additional timeframe before you can be accepted or will NOT ACCEPT YOU FOREVER.

The criminal check companies the apartments use tend to locate the arrest and where you plead guilty to start the deferred adjudication. The Texas Apartment Association (TAA) standard application asks you to detail arrests. If you aren't truthful, you will lose your application and administration fees. I always tell my clients to be truthful. I also advise clients WHAT TO SAY and WHAT NOT TO SAY.

My service is FREE to you, the apartments pay my fees. To put me to work for you, go to www.AptFindCriminal.com and select the FINDER FORM.

John
A Criminal Issues Apt Expert
TX Broker 0573534

The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that assisted you in your case. 

District Clerk's don't always provide an important document for leasing an apartment

If you accepted a Deferred Adjudication, aka Deferred Felony, and completed probation successfully; you must obtain the discharge or dismissal paperwork from the court.

Companies that do criminal checks often fail to pick up the status at the end of probation. In other words, you may have to prove it. This document proves you finished probation successfully, and if that is your only charge, Texas states you aren't a felon.

I know the paperwork and the steps to follow to be accepted. Contact me if you are having this issue at www.AptFindCriminal.com and complete the FINDER FORM.

My service is FREE to you, the apartments pay my fees. My clients have told me I saved them hundreds of dollars in lost application fees.

John
A Criminal Issues Apt Expert
TX Broker 0573534

The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that assisted you in your case. 

Why Time Could be the Key to your situation

Crime and Time and of course income determine how many apartments that will be available to you.

Misdemeanors over 2'years, 5 years, and 7:years are the most common timeframes. At each level, more become available.

Deferred Felonies once probation ends successfully are placeable.

Felony charges depend more on the charge:

• DWI immediately
• Financial crimes 2-5 years
• Other and additional felonies 7 years
• Violent charges at 10 years 
• Felony 1 charges, like Drug Manufacturing typically require 10 years AFTER PAROLE OR PROBATION (for a Federal charge).

Crimes you might not consider to be violent, like Arson, Felon with a Firearm, etc. are considered to be violent by apartments.

Some charges like Murder 1 or Felony Sex Offender I can't place.

To put me to work for you, go to AptFindCriminal.com and fill out the FINDER FORM. My service is FREE to you, the apartments pay my commission.

John
A Criminal Issues Apt Expert
TX Broker 0573534

The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that assisted you in your case. 

More Apartments are adopting the "we don't know the criminal policies; A 3rd party does all that".

Do I buy that? Well, yes and no. 

I do think they have an idea of what the complex will deal with due to their experience. They know in general what they won't take (example: Aggravated crimes, Manufacturing/Distribution, etc.) but they probably don't know the specifics of what they will accept.

Most of my clients have lost several application fees.  Since my Service is FREE to the client, it is a "no brainer" to start my service.  It takes less than 3 minutes to go to my website  AptFindCriminal.com and click on the FINDER FORM.

I have 13 years of doing this. As one of my clients said, "John, you are a Criminal Apartment Expert". 

But don't think I will send you to a nasty place - I just know the rules and can get you a nice places you might not believe -- see my Testimonials on my site.

John
A Criminal Issues Apt Expert
TX Broker 0573534

The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that assisted you in your case. 

Are there Felonies we can't place? Only 2 types: Sex Crimes and Murder

 

Are there Felonies you CAN’T PLACE? 

I can’t place two different types of felonies!

For sexual crimes, where the person must register as a Sex Offender (aka RSO’s), I can’t place those. It may be possible to find a place that will but typically they will not pay a commission.

I can’t place anyone who has committed Murder unless they were pardoned by the Governor or released because they were convicted in error.

    John, the owner of AptFindCriminal.com, is a Texas Real Estate Broker 0573534 

and has over 13 years in finding Apartments for people with criminal issues.  He is a Criminal Issues Apartment Expert.

The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that assisted you in your case. 

 © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved.

We aren't just a locator -- we are Criminal Issues Experts

 

Why is AptFindCriminal.com different? 

Go to: www.AptFindCriminal.com and complete the FINDER FORM.

I run criminal backgrounds. Then I compare your charges to my privately developed database to find the apartments that best meet your needs.  But here’s the problem with using past data: the apartments sell often and policies change due to the sale and apartments change policies due to legal, governmental, or financial reasons.  I always have to check.

Some companies have Ownership Groups (like a McDonalds or Chick-fil-a) where the policies are somewhat different than another Ownership Group.   So I developed a process that tries to protect your wallet.

But you need to protect your wallet too.  Unless you tell me, I only check the state or city where you think your charge originated.  If you say TEXAS but you had a felony in Arkansas, I may not pick that up but in all likelihood the apartments will because they are using your money for the best criminal background check available.  Same way, run your credit, some clients think they have an Eviction but it’s only a broken lease or no broken lease shows.  RUN YOUR CREDIT, YOU CAN DO IT FOR FREE. Tell me on the FINDER FORM in the Notes To Finder field to send you instructions.

Just to remind you; all future correspondence between us will use my Email john@24x7aptfind.com  Most clients do not want anything relating to past issues to be on emails.  My name is JOHN.

    
            John, the owner of AptFindCriminal.com, is a Texas Real Estate Broker 0573534 and has over 13 years in finding Apartments for                     people with criminal issues.  He is a Criminal Issues Apartment Expert.

    The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that     assisted you in your case. 

     © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved.

We may need to talk before you apply!

 

We may need to talk before you apply! 

Remember, apartment complexes receive many potential tenants each day and because of their staff, you should not expect the staff to know my name or yours. However, it is on my notes under the MEMO portion of the Email I will send. 

If you have a difficult case, I will ask you to call me so we can discuss strategies before you go in. I should point out I never suggest doing anything shady but how to state a blemish is very important.

For example, don’t use the “F word” – meaning FELONY if you have a Deferred Adjudication. Use the word Charge and tell them either the Judge Dismissed the charge or Discharged the case.  Felony to the apartments means conviction.  And most leasing agents just know the basics on how their firm will deal with it.  Most can’t handle tricky cases.

    
    

            John, the owner of AptFindCriminal.com, is a Texas Real Estate Broker 0573534 and has over 13 years in finding Apartments for                     people with criminal issues.  He is a Criminal Issues Apartment Expert.

    The information in this blog is Real Estate information and not legal information. For legal information, contact the party            that assisted you in your case. 

     © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved.

What is www.AptFindCriminal.com

 

What is Apartment Find Criminal: It's for criminal issues...

A FREE Apartment Finding Service in the 4 largest Metros in Texas: Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and the Mid-Cities, San Antonio & Austin.

For details, go to my new Website: www.AptFindCriminal.com and select the FINDER FORM to get started. The service is free; the apartments pay my fees.

        

            John, the owner of AptFindCriminal.com, is a Texas Real Estate Broker 0573534 and has over 13 years in finding Apartments for                     people with criminal issues.  He is a Criminal Issues Apartment Expert. The information in this blog is Real Estate information and            not legal information. For legal information, contact the party that  assisted you in your case. 

     © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved.

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