Renting to People with Criminal Records (account, dealing, Orlando, felons)
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You might be concerned about the ex-con who is trying to make their life better. I would not feel comfortable knowing an ex-con was living next to me. I think that if this is such a big problem, maybe the ex-cons should get together and own a building that they rent out to each other. wouldn't that be a possible solution? Then by them making this business work they would prove to society that they have reformed.
I do believe it is the responsibility of the landlord to make sure all potential tenants are going to be safe and not cause harm to other tenants. Of course, no one can predict anything for sure, but if someone is showing the possibility that they will be trouble, then it is the landlords duty to protect the other current tenants from this person. Thats what a tenant screening is for and background checks.
Last edited by ChicagoMeO; 12-17-2012 at 09:39 PM..
hmmm after reading several posts, a landlord should not rent to anyone (ex-con or not).. someone who -
has a bad history of not paying rent, making excuses for that non-payment of rent, pays bills late, actually did check schemes, stolen things, i.e. it will be the landlord who will lose and affect his investment. He is not running a social service charity, its how he makes his money. if you dont pay your rent, he cant pay his bills. Eviction is costly, why would someone rent to another who may be a financial problem?
Also, the landlord does not want someone who will possibly do damage to his property. in the case of meth labs, apparently that will screw up the property and have to tear that up.
some people have bad friends and those are the problem.
Maybe if people were aware that there were severe consequences to crime, it might make them think twice before committing it. The ex-cons here may have done some thug-wannabee a service if they learn from the ex-cons mistakes.
with all the problems landlords have to deal with, i'm glad i am a renter!
I am trying to find an apartment in a good area of Corpus Christi and all of them do back ground checks. My husband has a misdemeanor from 2008 for assult and we got denied for an apartment. I have tried looking for a house and everything is so expensive. The apartment that we currently live in has got broken in to several times this month and my kids and I don't feel safe here. All our belongings are packed up but we have no where to go. I can easily apply for an apartment without my husbands name but I don't want to take a risk of getting caught and the evicted. Does anyone know any apartments that don't do back ground checks or of any that will accept him having a 4 yr old misdemeanor?
It's a bad thing. People with criminal records, especially when they were young, have turned themselves around, have a family, a good job, are being a good citizen in the community, go to church. THEY ARE being discriminated because everyone deserves a 2nd change. A repeat offender I understand, but someone with a single issue is struggling to survive, yet have not been in trouble for over 6+ years, it is a crime to discrimate against some of the records that are so minimul. A felony does not mean you are a murderer or a sexual offender, it could just be a stupid judgement that was made years ago and I DO NOT THINK IT IS RIGHT to make these people suffer for the rest of their lives. There should be a help line for these people who have proven themselves to find a home. The alternative, a homeless person, making things worse for us and them. I also would really like to know if anyone know of apt rentals that do not do criminal backgroud checks or atleast listen to the story so they can make a determination if an exception is justified based on the circumstances.
Then where are these people to live, on the streets, great thinking. X-cons are not all th same and they should not be put all in one general class. Some have really changed their lives for the better, learned their lesson and deserve to live in a safe, nice place just as you do.
how about if yr going to court and have not been charged yet and a landlord tells you they wont rent to you because of yr record when its your first time and you havent even been convicted yet? im in wisconsin by the way
This is ridiculous. I live in NYC and know someone with a felony conviction. She made a real dumb mistake back in 2003. She was convicted and paid her restitution and finished her probation. She has learned her lesson.
She has had no problems getting apartments since. She works full time and has a good job, and currently lives in a condo development that had board approval and she still had no problem. This is the third apartment she has lived in since the conviction.
My neighbor is a registered sex offender. A teenager on my street wanted to make some extra cash walking my dog for me or dogsitting, so I told her I'd have to speak to her mom first, but great I'd get back to her in a few days since I was going to be away from home. I came back to a note on the door and remembered the idiot next door, and it wasn't appropriate for her to be at my house by herself. I don't feel safe allowing her to walk my dog since there have been a few pitbull attacks to dogs on the street in the past few years. And after talking with her mother, she isn't comfortable having the daughter in my home alone due to the neighbor. He might be perfectly safe, but I felt it was my responsibility to disclose.
Even sex offenders frequently get their records expunged, so if someone has a clean record and truly reformed for a lengthy period of time, then maybe hire an attorney or check with legal services. Anyone actively on parole, the recidivism rate is incredibly high in some states, and what happens when a person goes back to jail or prison, yet again? Your rent either isn't paid, or you move in (often without the LL's knowing) other people.
I don't live in the hood and the rent on my street is competitive. As I have found, people with these backgrounds live a very different lifestyle than I do, one that has little regard for others. They think nothing of breaking rules and do not make good tenants.
Of course, there are exceptions. But everyone I've met that claimed to be a victim, and yet had a record, didn't understand they deserved their punishment (and the ongoing consequences of it.) My brother had a drug charge, went to rehab, stayed clean, excepted responsibility, had his record expunged, and has had no repercussions. He's remained clean for 15+ years, owns a business and a home, even though he had a meth problem. Let me mention, he never stole a dime from anybody or committed a crime other than his drug charge. Even as an addict, whacked out of his head, he payed his bills and caused no problems.
If you have a low income and a credit score over 640, check into a rural home loan from the USDA.
I would rent to a felon because everybody got there own mistakes that they make and everybody is not prefect so yea i would be willing to give that person a second chance to better there self's and they would have to show me they change for the better not the worse. I don't discriminate people because of there background some people do cause they think they better then other but you shouldn't judge a person because you never knew what they was going through at the time.
Sorry, but my idea of giving a stranger with a criminal record a second chance would be to pay him $20 to mow the lawn. Then let him do it again next month of he does a good job and doesn't cause any trouble.
Giving someone control over a $150,000 house is beyond what I am willing to do to give a felon a second chance. However, I am willing to keep a list of all of you who clamor for the right to a second chance and I will send all my felon applicants to you with the knowledge that you will rent to them. All they have to do is look sincere and swear they will never do it again and they've got their place to rent.
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