It can be challenging to find apartments for rent that accept felons, but it does not mean that there is no way at all. With the release from prison, felons also need to deal with finding a job or finding a place to sleep and live well.
Felons are like having a black record, even though they have paid what they did in the prison. It is not easy to get the trust from the society back and therefore, the opportunity to get it is not easy. There are some options available, even though these can be limited.
Apartments For Rent That Accept Felons – The Steps
It does not matter if they try to find a house or apartment for rent, the result should save their life. They can use resources to use in each of the 50 states. It means that they have to spend their energy and time just to find a place to live, and that is the consequence. Therefore, if they want to have a successful conclusion, patience and perseverance are the key points.
Here are some steps to find apartments for rent that accept felons, as below:
- Find individual property owners
We recommend felons to go with individual property owners as the option. It is because large property management companies come with stricter guidelines on their tenants. By going with the individual property owner, felons have the less extensive background check.
- Single-occupancy houses
It is important to note that it is not easy to get apartments for rents, especially for felons. Therefore, if there is a good opportunity to find a house for felons to rent, just go for it. If possible, choose a single-occupancy house rented by a single property owner. Avoid choosing ones that are available in a high-density living area. Mostly, a property management company manages these housings.
- Make a good first impression
In this case, felons need most. It does not decrease their self-esteem by making a good first impression to the property owner. What they can do is be sincere and serious. Their focus is on the house and asks any questions they need to hear the answers.
It is important, to be honest about the conviction. Most of us already distrusted felons; therefore, it is important not to make everything goes more difficult by being dishonest. The best thing to do is, to tell the truth for the criminal record. It is always good to stick to the facts. Remember that the property owner can discover everything on their background check. Most of the property owners are going to search the parts they dishonest. They can be more sensitive, and once the felons tell the truth, they may not have to rethink of giving an opportunity to live.
- Felons should ready with all potential questions
Of course, each individual property owner has many questions to know more about the felons. Felons must be ready for this situation. Most property owners ask about their plans to live with the honesty.
- Ask lawyers and parole officers
Asking lawyers and parole officers can be the valuable way for all felons to get any information about houses or apartments to rent. They may know about the vacancy because they are handling felons every day. If they have no information available, they may know some agencies to offer the felons for assistance.
- Ask family or friends
Family or friends may know something. Besides, they know what felons need most. They can help without your asking. Some of them may know a good property owner that can help felons.
Felons must be ready with all bad things happen during the research of apartments for rent that accept felons. Some owners may not accept them because of the criminal record or the personal issue. If the possible owner judges and rejects felons, it is better to pay the rent first for the deposit.
Understanding The Decision Of The Land Owner
The property or the landowner can turn down felons for housing because of some factors. The landowner may turn down the tenant because of the poor credit record or the failure to pay the rent on time. On the other hand, they accept the tenant as a felon but they turn them down because of the assumed traits; felons are dangerous and dishonest.
Most of the landowners do not want to rent their house or apartment to anyone that they do not feel comfortable. In this part, we cannot say that this is discrimination. It is because they try to protect their lives in the name of liability as well as safety issues. On the other hands, felons were not born, as they are felons. They just took their lifestyle with the bad decisions.
For felons, they can get more assistance by contacting some agencies to find apartments for rent that accept felons. For example, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can help locating the subsidized housing for them. Besides, the agencies offer help to felons with low income so they can get a rental house.
However, in some states, they cannot provide assistance for certain felons because of certain crimes such as manufacturing and selling several drugs, for example, methamphetamines. Other than that, felons who convicted of sex offense cannot get any assistance in some states.
Use The Case To Rent A House Or Apartment
It is true that the situation is hard for felons, and there is no way to go ahead, use the situation with the goal to get a house or apartment for rent. Felons always have the same problem; it is not easy to get a house to rent.
Nevertheless, the opportunity is still waiting for those who want.
In the beginning, they should accept their life in an apartment or any short-term housing. A re-entry program can be the way to demonstrate their willingness to live an honest life. Another way they can do is to get a further education as well as training to improve their knowledge and skills to find a job.
The fact is felons can be the tenants and no one can change the fact.
See Also: Housing Assistance for Felons
References:
- Can a Felon Rent a House?
- Image: nypost.com
