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Old 06-06-2014, 11:46 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,099 times
Reputation: 10

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I know landlords can deny you for whatever reason they want. I'm not looking at the legal aspect of this.

But has anyone ever heard of someone's application being rejected for a non-violent, non-drug misdemeanor offense? The charge isn't related to damaging property or theft either. Just curious as I rent from a large corporation at the moment. I'm trying to transfer properties and my application was denied (by the computer) because of this conviction from 4 years ago. They're having the property manager review the application and possibly manually accept it.

I'm just confused why they would deny it when I have rented with the company for over a year now without any problems. No complaints about me, no late rent, nothing, they even took my cosigner off 6 months into the lease and offered to renew my lease at my current property. I'm even more confused because this charge was on there when I applied and moved into the current property I'm at (which is the same landlord company). I did apply without a cosigner this time but I thought that wouldn't matter.

Hoping the property manager will see my application and decide the computer made a bad decision on my app or something.
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Old 06-06-2014, 03:53 PM
 
16,376 posts, read 22,427,722 times
Reputation: 14397
It's legal.
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Old 06-06-2014, 05:14 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, Texas
3,503 posts, read 19,853,279 times
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A computer does not know the details. All a computer knows is what it is instructed to do. It sounds like the first rental was reviewed and approved by a person. Your second application was reviewed and rejected by a computer that only knows to reject anyone for a conviction. A conviction for murder is the same as a conviction for jaywalking...to a computer.
Welcome to the efficient world automation. Hopefully the manager person will review the app and approve it.
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Old 06-06-2014, 05:29 PM
 
27,206 posts, read 46,646,405 times
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That sounds weird and btw I doubt your comp. application is not checked by a human.

It is not discrimination to deny someone for a prior criminal offense or bad debt or due to their credit score but it can become tricky if 2 different people apply with very similar backgrounds and different ethnicities and one gets denied the there must be good reason and that may be better rental history or higher income, etc.
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Old 06-06-2014, 10:40 PM
 
Location: Ohio
5,624 posts, read 6,823,061 times
Reputation: 6802
You can always just talk to the manager about the arrest and see what they say.
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Old 06-07-2014, 12:26 AM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,382,398 times
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They maybe implemented new criteria. If the rental market is good where you live, then it's just way easier for them to have a rule that they deny for any criminal convictions. The alternative is for them to come up with a complicated list of what types are allowed or how long ago they had to happen. You will find these kinds of criteria for government subsidized housing. But, for other landlords, it's just easier to say no across the board.

If they implemented this new criteria after you moved in, they will be figuring out what to do with you. Do they consider you "grandfathered in" ? Since you have a new lease, must they treat you as any new tenant with the new rules?

I hope they are able to justify an exception for you. Good luck.
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Old 06-07-2014, 11:05 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,099 times
Reputation: 10
The application is entered into a computer by an actual person, yes. But the computer makes the decision. Then I guess it can be reviewed by the manager if you want. I sent them a copy of the police report that shows it wasn't anything serious or bad so maybe that will help. I guess I could see how the computer could flag it because the charge is very vague in nature, for all it knows, I could have assaulted someone.

They're suppose to get back to me Monday... hopefully with good news. The leasing agent was very understanding and said he would push for us as best he could because even he said is was very odd and he couldn't see why they would deny us when we have good rental history with them. Unfortunately, it is up to his manager to make the final decision and not him.
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Old 06-07-2014, 03:41 PM
 
27,206 posts, read 46,646,405 times
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Many young people in College have been arrested and cases dismissed for drinking under age or similar things as an one time offense.

We don't deny anyone for things like that especially since most people don't start renting years after the fact when they have a job.
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