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Old 09-04-2013, 01:17 AM
 
9,848 posts, read 8,252,727 times
Reputation: 3296

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Quote:
Originally Posted by thegod74200274 View Post
I would like to know how people who have made comments here can discriminate someone such as myself with others with a record -- ON PAPER!

Any comments????
Well, you are one of the 3% that make a change maybe.
How though does a apartment manager keep someone that gives them a bad vibe out?
#1 We run credit and if there are things in there that are less stellar than another applicant then you don't get in.
#2 There will always be another applicant with better credit and history when we check them out.

You don't want someone who is barely able to afford living there.
You don't want a bad reference from a prior place they lived.
You can't rent on hope and change, didn't even work with our leaders much less an ex-con.

Wish you the best, but in general an ex con is a liability to the employer or a landlord. You can cause either to be sued because of who you were. You are in contact with the public at your job and if something happens the employer or landlord is in a much greater position to be sued if it was public knowledge you were in jail before for a crime.

It is a tough world.
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Old 12-15-2013, 05:52 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,599 times
Reputation: 18
It's a blanket way to judge a renter. I'm a convicted felon, because I was an addict. Because of this my fiancé and I can't find an apartment in Austin Tx. It seems ridiculous to me. My felony was the impetus to change my life. I've been sober for five years, been working full time at a university for over three years, pay my rent and bills on time, finished school, run ultra marathons etc. (I got my life together) Almost everyone I know would say I'm a good, kind, honest person…People can change.
It's true for the job market too.If I applied today, to the Job I quite last week, I would not be allowed to work there, because they have new hiring standards. Luckily I had a wonderful run and my boss had a going away party at her house for me because I was so liked and respected there.
Felons are multifaceted individuals just like people with out records. To judge a person on one criteria is simple minded and wrong. There are plenty of untrustworthy people who have done bad things in there lives, and do not have a criminal record. Just as there are some wonderfully honest, good people who do have records.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
4,761 posts, read 7,791,536 times
Reputation: 5327
While what you say is fine, the truth is landlords are doing what they can to minimize risks. For every story like yours, there are probably dozens more about repeat offenders who either went back to their old ways, or have graduated on to more serious offenses. I could have 10 people come into my office and tell me exactly what you have said and I have no reliable way to determine who is telling the truth and who is lying. Instead of rolling the dice, I have to just say no.

Too many people want to take a landlord's decision personally. It is not, unless you just come across as a raging jackhole, but that's an entirely different matter. We have an investment to protect and in many cases we have people to answer to. Perhaps a thread exploring the professional-personal side of renting is in order....
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Old 12-18-2013, 08:24 AM
 
912 posts, read 1,518,127 times
Reputation: 2295
On one hand, it absolutely is a shame that the punishment system in our country has made it near-impossible for a felon who has served their time to get a clean start. It's an endless loop -- we scream about how felons just keep re-offending and don't make anything of their lives, but then we make it almost impossible for them to do things like gain employment or rent an apartment. That's part of a much larger debate than I'm willing to bite off here, but I do definitely see that side of the argument.

When I was in underwriting, our clientele were, largely, people with less-than desirable credit history that disqualified them from traditional bank options. Not all of them, but many. A background check was part of the underwriting package, and it was fairly common to come across applicants with felonies on their records. When deciding to approve, we looked at not only the original felony (or felonies), but when it happened, how long they'd been out of prison, and any subsequent violations. Someone who had a drug felony 15 years ago but who had remained clean since was looked at differently than someone with a string of felonies who was freshly out of prison. You can't paint everyone with the same brush.

That being said, I do understand why a lot of landlords draw this line in the sand, even if I don't necessarily agree with it. Being a landlord is a risky business to begin with, and you have to decide what you're comfortable with and what you're not.
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Old 01-10-2014, 08:35 AM
 
27,206 posts, read 46,557,818 times
Reputation: 15661
Good post! Since you see it from both sides.

If you are an owner you want to keep the risk as low as possible. Maybe a convicted felon is willing to rent to another convicted felon and that way a new system is started but why would I as a honest citizen risk my investment for someone who made the wrong decision?

Every smart person will try to limit their risks as much as possible which means that as long that there are tenants with clean backgrounds they will get a preference above others who did something wrong.

Is that fair? To me it is fair.

Life may not always be fair but that is also why some people are pretty, handsome, have a perfect body, are smart, maybe athletic and why there are people who not so pretty, ugly, are fat, small, not so bright, etc...is that fair? No but that is life and we can complain all we want but not everyone will be a Heidi Klum, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Shaquil O'Neill, Oprah, etc...

In case of convicted felons, it is not something a person couldn't change...it was their choice to commit the crime unless someone put a gun to their head but in that case they probably wouldn't be convicted...others chose not to commit crimes!

it is all about choices people make and my choice is not to rent to a convicted felon and it doesn't make me feel guilty or a bad person!

Quote:
Originally Posted by thatswanlady View Post
On one hand, it absolutely is a shame that the punishment system in our country has made it near-impossible for a felon who has served their time to get a clean start. It's an endless loop -- we scream about how felons just keep re-offending and don't make anything of their lives, but then we make it almost impossible for them to do things like gain employment or rent an apartment. That's part of a much larger debate than I'm willing to bite off here, but I do definitely see that side of the argument.

When I was in underwriting, our clientele were, largely, people with less-than desirable credit history that disqualified them from traditional bank options. Not all of them, but many. A background check was part of the underwriting package, and it was fairly common to come across applicants with felonies on their records. When deciding to approve, we looked at not only the original felony (or felonies), but when it happened, how long they'd been out of prison, and any subsequent violations. Someone who had a drug felony 15 years ago but who had remained clean since was looked at differently than someone with a string of felonies who was freshly out of prison. You can't paint everyone with the same brush.

That being said, I do understand why a lot of landlords draw this line in the sand, even if I don't necessarily agree with it. Being a landlord is a risky business to begin with, and you have to decide what you're comfortable with and what you're not.
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Old 01-10-2014, 08:41 AM
 
27,206 posts, read 46,557,818 times
Reputation: 15661
Quote:
Originally Posted by voltaire31 View Post
It's a blanket way to judge a renter. I'm a convicted felon, because I was an addict. Because of this my fiancé and I can't find an apartment in Austin Tx. It seems ridiculous to me. My felony was the impetus to change my life. I've been sober for five years, been working full time at a university for over three years, pay my rent and bills on time, finished school, run ultra marathons etc. (I got my life together) Almost everyone I know would say I'm a good, kind, honest person…People can change.
It's true for the job market too.If I applied today, to the Job I quite last week, I would not be allowed to work there, because they have new hiring standards. Luckily I had a wonderful run and my boss had a going away party at her house for me because I was so liked and respected there.
Felons are multifaceted individuals just like people with out records. To judge a person on one criteria is simple minded and wrong. There are plenty of untrustworthy people who have done bad things in there lives, and do not have a criminal record. Just as there are some wonderfully honest, good people who do have records.

You made two choices...to use stuff that you got addicted to and to commit crimes. What guarantee can you give a person that you will not fall back if you fall on hard times?

Many people have made choices and fallen on hard times and never committed a crime so why are you judging others for not willing to rent to you when they can have someone with a better record?

Most people don't become a convicted felon after their first offense but often they don't get caught unless they have committed multiple offenses and often they have been given a free pass after their first run in with the law so perhaps you may have been arrested multiple times and one time convicted.

We rent out to people who better their life but we want to see a clean sheet for a decade at least and we don't rent to anybody with drug charges unless it was for minor marijuana but otherwise it is a huge NO! We don't want any owner to deal with meth homes or junkies hanging out in their house.
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Old 01-10-2014, 08:07 PM
 
27,206 posts, read 46,557,818 times
Reputation: 15661
I read your post and understand you better now and agree somethings are different when you get more of a background. ..

I don't agree with being labeled a sex offender if it is a an 18 year old with a 15 or 16 yr old girl...since many 15 yr old girls either lie or are very mature and consent to sex.

But over all convicted felons are convicted for a reason and if it was for a check than I would submit proof prior to filling out an application and see if the property manager is able to allow the person or not..we have decided case by case since owners we deal with have different criteria.
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Old 01-11-2014, 11:29 PM
 
4 posts, read 10,526 times
Reputation: 10
[quote=sweetmama;3351168]I am doing a paper on renting apartments to people who has a criminal record. I am doing a poll on do you think its right to discriminate those who has done their time. Their working hard everyday on a job but can't get an apartment beccause they have a felony record. Please give me your opinion on this topic.[/quo

I know of a person who has changed their life around. It has been ten years sence the crime which was manufacturing and child endangerment. This person goes to school and raises the kids. Now they want to move to a bigger home. so far all agencies ask to do a backgroung check this person was truthful about the felony and was then denied the house. this person has established a good credit and has no evictions.
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Old 01-15-2014, 10:05 AM
 
1 posts, read 1,416 times
Reputation: 10
Smile 2nd chances! :)

Hello,

I'm hoping you reply to this response. My husband has an old felony and it's very hard to find a place with everyone doing background checks. Not everyone is as good hearted and believes in second chance like you. I really love the way you think! Please let us know if you have a place in CT for rent. We will have the money. Thanks and God Bless! <3

~Danielle A.~



Quote:
Originally Posted by AliceT View Post
Well, allow me to throw in a curve ball. I am a landlady and I don't do background checks. I don't mind renting to first-time renters, retirees, those with poor credit (how would I know?), widows and widowers and someone down on his luck or fresh out of prison.

BUT, I rent my houses out on a month-to-month basis with very well-defined and written stipulations and take dated pictures of the property. One went sour. It happens to people who do background and credit checks too.
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Old 01-15-2014, 04:03 PM
 
Location: NYC
3,072 posts, read 5,469,292 times
Reputation: 2993
I thought I read on another thread that landlords/employers, etc. can only go back seven years. I think only certain high security jobs/police can go back further than that. But I'm not 100% sure.
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