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I also believe that people can be rehabilitated, and that the last place the OP's new tenant wants to go is back to prison. And, I do hope that all works out well. My earlier comments were predicated on the risk to which the OP, as a new landlord, will be exposed.
However, as this is a thirty-year-old crime of passion, not not premeditated murder, that does change the light in which the issue is cast, because I highly doubt that recidivism is going to be a factor. There is no mention of escalating criminal behavior that resulted in the murder conviction for which the prospective tenant was incarcerated. Given that it was a crime of passion, and with competent defense counsel at the time of indictment, there may have been a possibility to plea to a manslaughter charge. However, because not all counsel are created equal, such options are not always available to those without the means to pay upfront.
I wish the OP all the best, and still think that this is a complex tenancy that has many variables. However, I am less worried about the criminal actions, especially if the person is still under parole oversight, than the lack of credit. I would have asked for a bit more security deposit to cover the additional risk, and I would have asked for some character references outside of the judicial system, such as employer, member of clergy, etc. The situation is complex, but the OP has a decision in hand, and I do hope that the landlord-tenant relationship is smooth.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
[quote=SeventhFloor;33492722]OP, does the person have a job now?
He says he actually has two jobs,he is in a program that helps rehabilitate ex-cons, finding them work etc, he's been out since last year and his PO says I can include in the lease the fact that he is not allowed to associate with known felons, (To misquote Jimmy in Pulp fiction, I don't want a bunch of gangsters(felons) doing gangster(felon) sh!# in my apartment :-).
I also don't see how people can be so callous to the OP. Due to the neighborhood, either the OP is going to have to rent out to Section 8 people or give less than ideal people like this ex convict a second chance. Yet because of their own fears, they'd rather the OP go broke and not rent out to anyone. Are people telling the OP not to rent out to this man going to pay the mortgage on his property or pay for the rent?
I do think the OP may want to think about renting out at least some of his apartments to people on government programs, given the neighborhood and location. Screw the old Irish guy and his complaint about baby daddy issues. You'd want at least some of your apartments to have guaranteed income.
Even if the OP waited 2 or 3 months to find a more acceptable tenant he would be better off financially than going through the landlord tenant court hell. I have had to go that route and it is not a pleasant experience.
He says he actually has two jobs,he is in a program that helps rehabilitate ex-cons, finding them work etc, he's been out since last year and his PO says I can include in the lease the fact that he is not allowed to associate with known felons, (To misquote Jimmy in Pulp fiction, I don't want a bunch of gangsters(felons) doing gangster(felon) sh!# in my apartment :-).
I say give him a chance. Any issues you can contact his PO.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
The only problem is that you can rely on a parole officer up to a point. The OP has a valid contract with the tenant that is not restricted by the court; thus, there is no protection if he chooses not to pay, and the guarantor refuses to pay. The only avenue is eviction and litigation, as there is no redress from the parole officer regarding a civil matter, only criminal.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Henna, the only difference between the ex-con and a person graduating out of college is that he has a felony on his record. The college graduate often has no employment history, save a few internships, and no credit history as well. Matter of fact, they might even have a bad credit history because these corporations are notorious for pushing credit cards on these kids when they're in college and those textbooks are expensive. So you're right - let's not get the issues mixed up.
The employment prospects of a recent college graduate and an ex-convict are basically inverse. According to BLS, by October 2011, in the depths of the recession, about 75% of college students who graduated in 2011 had jobs. The unemployment rate for ex-felons in their first year after release is generally around 75%.
The only problem is that you can rely on a parole officer up to a point. The OP has a valid contract with the tenant that is not restricted by the court; thus, there is no protection if he chooses not to pay, and the guarantor refuses to pay. The only avenue is eviction and litigation, as there is no redress from the parole officer regarding a civil matter, only criminal.
Well, at any point of you rent out to someone there is the possibility of eviction. Or that the person could break the lease.
There is no such thing as risk free tenant. I don't see why there's such opposition to the OP renting out to this man.
The employment prospects of a recent college graduate and an ex-convict are basically inverse. According to BLS, by October 2011, in the depths of the recession, about 75% of college students who graduated in 2011 had jobs. The unemployment rate for ex-felons in their first year after release is generally around 75%.
Supposedly this particularly ex felon already has two jobs. So the stats are a moot point if he's already employed.
Supposedly this particularly ex felon already has two jobs. So the stats are a moot point if he's already employed.
I understand. I was responding to a general statement made that was completely fallacious. But related to this particular case, college graduates also have much higher rates of job stability.
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