How to Explain a Felony on a Rental Application | 27 Steps by Expert

Life isn’t always fair. The Fair Housing Act forbids discrimination against some prospective tenants, but having a felony is not one of those protected classes. If you have a felony on your record, a landlord may reject your application because you made a mistake, which has now permanently marred your reputation. But many housing options are still available, even if you have a criminal record. Thus, we have made this post on how to explain a felony on a rental application to aid you.

Every applicant for an apartment is scrutinized as soon as they submit their application. Your entire life is probed, poked, and looked into in detail.

So, you can anticipate an even more thorough review process if you have a criminal record. But despite having engaged in a felony, there is light at the end of the tunnel, leading to you being able to rent an apartment.

The landlord carefully reviews every rental application that is submitted. The landlord is taking on a new resident and must believe they will behave like model residents.

Landlords won’t tolerate several undesirable actions. And they will probably reject the application if they think any of them are likely to happen because of the criminal background. Come with us as we show you how to go about this.

• Know your rights
• Acknowledge the felony
• Explain the circumstances
• Provide evidence of rehabilitation
• Seek help if necessary
• Follow up with potential landlords
• Prepare for questions and be honest
• Research landlord policies
• Consider finding a cosigner
• Keep a positive attitude
• Understand the law
• Research state and local rental laws
• Be honest and transparent
• Provide character references
• Discuss your current finances
• Explain what you have learned from the experience
• Offer a guarantee
• Provide proof of employment
• Follow up with the landlord
• Understand your state’s landlord-tenant laws
• Determine the time frame
• Contact your probation officer.
• Write a statement of explanation
• Ask for a reference
• Include a copy of your criminal record
• Contact the landlord directly
• Follow up with the landlord

Let’s learn in detail;

How to Explain a Felony on a Rental Application

Know your rights

A background check may not show a conviction older than seven years in certain states. You don’t have to reveal your belief if you find yourself in this predicament.

Although it’s sometimes unjust to refuse housing to someone because of a long-gone conviction, this practice is legal in many jurisdictions. Knowing your rights is the first step as a result.

Acknowledge the felony

Don’t try to justify what you did. You should explain if you weren’t participating in the event but were nevertheless detained. Refrain from going into detail about what others did incorrectly.

It won’t help your case if you accuse the arresting officer of being unprofessional or the court staff of being unpleasant to you. Accepting responsibility for a mistake you made is far more honorable than trying to place the blame on someone else.

Explain the circumstances

Be succinct in your explanation. You may start by outlining how you ended yourself in difficulty but keep this section brief. Don’t go into too much detail; just enough for the landlord to comprehend the severity of your transgression. If you discourse incessantly about the circumstance, you risk being self-righteous or possibly even glorifying what happened.

Provide evidence of rehabilitation.

Describe the steps you have taken to improve your conduct following the event. This is the moment to discuss any anger management classes you may have taken, alcohol abuse treatment you may have received, or debt reduction programs you may have finished.

There’s no need to go into great depth, either. Just make a short list of what you’ve done to mend your ways.

Seek help if necessary.

Government programs might be helpful if you are still having problems renting an apartment due to a criminal background. A list of options for those with criminal records is available on the Housing and Urban Development website, along with details on fair housing rules and how to complain.

People with criminal backgrounds may get housing aid from several private groups. A list of initiatives from the National Reentry Resource Center may assist you in locating housing and other assistance, such as vocational training and counseling for mental illness.

Research landlord policies

Some certain standards and procedures must be observed, even though landlords have the last say in who lives in their rental residences. Landlords can access applicants’ criminal histories as part of the vetting process, but they must still adhere to the proper procedures when utilizing such data.

Consider finding Co-signer

Co-signer consent to be held accountable in court should you break the lease terms. A cosigner can be an alternative if you want to rent a house but have a criminal past.

If you don’t have enough money to pay the rent, you may also focus on acquiring a cosigner for the rental application.

Keep a positive attitude.

Although it might be challenging, renting an apartment with a criminal record is not impossible. You’ll find a place to call home someday, albeit it could take some time and work. Therefore, persevere and never give up. Consider maintaining a cheerful disposition while you wait.

Understand the law

Knowing the law while attempting to explain a crime on a rental application is vital. You may now apply for a record sealing or record expungement.

The procedure through which a court erases your criminal record is called expungement. Because certain government agencies will be given access to the material, it remains.

A landlord, however, would not access your record once it has been purged. The type of offense, the rules of the province your documents belong to, the duration since the conviction, and your total criminal history all play a role if you may have them erased.

Research state and local rental laws.

The parties’ connection, rights, guidelines, and duties to a residential renting agreement are governed by landlord-tenant legislation. There are different landlord-tenant rights in each of the 50 states.

However, many of the laws of the civil code are relatively similar. However, there are also some notable variances in the laws in each state. Laws may differ on what must be included in a rental ad, how to perform a tenant screening correctly, the conditions that must be included in a rental contract, and more.

Occasionally, court decisions involving landlord and tenancy laws in their state result in both tenants and landlords losing. It’s not personal; rights define all parties and are written with everyone’s safety in mind.

This ensures everyone involved in a residential lease agreement conforms with local landlord-tenant legislation.

Be honest and transparent.

Getting away with lying on the internet and social media is challenging. A quick Google search may provide more information than a background check. Furthermore, misrepresenting your application might result in you being refused or instantly kicked out as a renter.

Even if you manage to rent the property without letting your landlord know about your criminal history, you risk being evicted if he finds out while you’re still living there. It won’t be easy to get up and go suddenly.

Provide character references

Be sure to draw attention to any fresh abilities you’ve acquired or suggestions you can cite. This entails taking part in rehabilitation programs actively and picking up new abilities.

Discuss your current finances.

When searching for a property with a criminal record, discussing your financial situation will offer you an edge.

Some variables will impact your prospects, such as student loan payments, credit card processing history, your number of credit cards, loan documents, and more. You may also be turned down for an apartment if you consistently pay late bills.

Be upfront about your money, above all. Inform the landlord if you received a less-than-favorable score about why and how you plan to improve it.

Explain what you have learned from the experience.

Give examples of how your life has changed after your arrest. It’s possible that your interaction with the criminal justice system was bad. However, as a result of that and all you did to assist yourself, you have changed. Give instances of your present conduct that show you would never get into problems again, such as showing compassion for others, taking care of yourself, and being responsible.

Provide proof of employment.

This will confirm your source of income and capacity to pay rent. If you are still looking for work, you may be required to ace a job interview first to be eligible to submit a rental application.

Determine the time frame.

The best course of action is to acknowledge the conviction up front and prepare for the possibility that it may be up in a background check. When requesting a rental, mention your conviction and assure the landlord that you have moved beyond those times and are devoted to upholding the law.

If the conviction is quite old and you have maintained a spotless record since the occurrence, you have a high chance of being accepted.

Contact your probation officer.

Notifying your probation officer is a crucial first step in figuring out How to explain a felony on a rental application. This is legitimate because they can give you and the landlord useful information about your criminal history.

Write a statement of explanation.

The significance of receiving a written letter has increased as they are becoming so rare in modern society. You might write a letter from the heart expressing your regret and describing the person you have become. This greatly increases the likelihood of your application being approved.

Ask for a reference

Finding rental properties is also made easier by requesting references from real estate agents. They may already understand where to seek you and have access to other resources.

Using a realtor may be more costly than looking on your own. However, you will likely find a rental property more quickly and be able to relocate to a new home right away.

Include a copy of your criminal record.

A landlord must assess each rental applicant’s criminal history individually. The landlord is not permitted to create a general policy or practice permitting the rejection of renters with any criminal history or conviction. And it will be simpler for everyone if you attach a copy of your criminal history.

Contact the landlord directly.

Contacting the landlord personally is another method for locating flats if you have a criminal background. You can speak with a specific landlord about your circumstances if you do.

Regarding your background investigation, be open and truthful. This will allow them to get to know you better and not only depend on your background check, which may allow them to overlook your crime.

Follow up with the landlord.

Continually checking in with the landlord is a crucial step. Any individual who begins to feel a special attachment to another begins to relax naturally and can see things from a new angle.

This tactic is useful in real estate when many tenants are vying for the same home. Frequently, the tenant who tried to follow up will become the property owner.

Expert Advice

Renting while having a criminal background might be challenging. Once you have a felony conviction, it follows you around and may be challenging in many areas of your life, particularly when trying to locate a rental property.

Background checks are used by landlords and property management businesses to identify trustworthy and unreliable renters. Additionally, having a criminal past is often used as justification for rejection.

However, the nature of the offense might work in your favor. The above tips will also be indispensable for you.