Apartment rentals for people with felony history

November 11, 2015 9:51 AM

A family member was released after being in prison for a felony conviction and has been living with family and friends since then. They seem convinced that they won't be able to lease an apartment because of the conviction. Does anyone know if this is a pervasive problem or if it's not such a big deal and if it's a real problem what are good alternatives for felons?
posted by duoshao to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

Based on some quick googling, it does sound like it is often a challenge. Helpforfelons.org has some tips on finding housing after incarceration. Here's a relevant article from sfgate.
posted by bunderful at 9:57 AM on November 11, 2015

I'm going to guess this depends a lot on where this person is going to be looking to rent; if they're in an area with a lot of small-time landlords (single family homes, duplexes, triplexes, etc.) who find tenants via craigslist or signs in the window, then it may not come up at all. If they're looking to lease in large apartment complexes, it's probably more likely to be an issue.

I would recommend looking for a place via a personal connection - e.g. if another family member has a good relationship with a landlord (their own landlord or a friend or associate who is a landlord) and is willing to vouch for the family member with the felony conviction.
posted by mskyle at 10:08 AM on November 11, 2015

It is a real, pervasive problem (and arguably one of the many drivers of recidivism). That doesn't mean they shouldn't try - it just makes it harder, and is a matter of finding the landlord who's willing to give them a shot.

In many states you can petition to get your record expunged after a requisite amount of time, and some pro bono law firms assist with that as part of their mission.
posted by Karaage at 10:09 AM on November 11, 2015 [4 favorites]

The rental place I used to work for (company managed half dozen or so different multi-building apartment complexes) would almost never deny anybody for that sort of reason, but they'd often ask for an extra deposit for this sort of thing or poor credit history.
posted by Sequence at 10:20 AM on November 11, 2015

A lot depends on where they are looking to live. In a tight rental market such as the SF Bay Area or New York City, an ex-felon is going to find it impossible to rent due to the competition. In a less tight rental market, it all depends. I second mskyle's suggestion for your family member to seek out individual landlords (not large rental corporations) and tap into existing networks for a referral.

Try doing a search by your state or county for prisoner re-entry programs. Some are overtly religious (like this one) - I do not know if this is a dealbreaker.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:22 AM on November 11, 2015

Yes, it's common enough for apartments to not rent out to felons in general or just for certain offenses (like drugs or violence). You have to look for felon-friendly housing. I have seen apartment buildings say they are "felon-friendly" in listings but it is probably better for your family member to ask around and get pointed to a good place by word of mouth. If your family member was in a halfway house or any kind of rehab program, he/she should be able to get some great housing tips from the people staying or working there.
posted by atinna at 10:29 AM on November 11, 2015

It is such a real, pervasive and pernicious problem in the US that there are many NPOs, community organizations and legal aid groups with resources to help. If you want to share your location, someone may know a local organization that can help. If you don't want to share your location, try looking for re-entry services or searching for expungement legal aid resources in your zip code.

You can start with the Council of State Governments Justice Center
posted by crush-onastick at 10:38 AM on November 11, 2015

This can be a big problem. For example, in Massachusetts there is an organization called SPAN that helps people transition back out of prison into society. Help finding housing is one of their key services.
posted by alms at 11:21 AM on November 11, 2015

This is more of an issue with employment, but it can be an issue with landlords, especially large, corporate landlords with management companies who ask for this information on rental applications. I usually try to rent directly from small-time landlords who don't have giant buildings and have never been asked this on rental applications. If your relative targets a small-time landlord who doesn't run their rentals through a management company, it may end up being a non-issue.
posted by quince at 11:45 AM on November 11, 2015

This is a real and common problem. Like others have mentioned, the nature of the crime (sex offense, crime against a person) makes a big difference. Felon friendly housing is few and far between. Also, like someone mentioned above, the larger management companies often have the most stringent requirements.
posted by fieldtrip at 11:57 AM on November 11, 2015

This isn't just a problem for huge management companies, any place where you fill out a typical application is going to ask this, even if they are pretty small. And this isn't just a problem in really populated places like NYC - it is definitely a problem in my medium-sized midwestern city. Your best bet is individual landlords of small buildings or renting a room in their home.

And it isn't just about the felony, but think of any associated issues. A lot of felons will have less than good credit. It doesn't even have to be terrible, but it's just another layer of challenge.

What about references? References of friends/family they've lived with are better than nothing, but it's not as good as an official landlord reference, and depending on the length of their jail time, even a good reference may be seen as too old to be relevant.

And then there's the fact if the person has a felony because of living a certain lifestyle (poverty and associated drugs), a lot of the places they will have an easy time getting into, are not going to be all that conducive to avoiding further criminal charges.

I personally have never seen a place advertise themselves as "felon friendly" - I don't doubt that it's a thing that exists, but I wouldn't bet on it as a great lead either. It's definitely possible to find a good living situation as a felon, but it's going to take more work and time and working with an agency/NPO can definitely help him figure out the best way for his specific locale.
posted by Aranquis at 12:47 PM on November 11, 2015

A friend is a landlord in Baltimore and if you've got the money, he's got a the rental. He does no checks of any kind on people. So, yeah, it does happen but I think his way of doing things is rare. On the other hand, Baltimore has a lot of felons.
posted by josher71 at 1:10 PM on November 11, 2015

It's a big, serious, documented problem. There's plenty to be found online, and geography plays a role, but I'll add an anecdote. My brother spent a few years in prison for a drug/weapon possession conviction. When he got out, part of his release arrangement with the state and his parole officer was that he had to live with a sponsor (me) for at least the first six months. All told, it took about a year and a half for him to find a place of his own. There was a lot of unpleasantness along the way, including one landlord who met my brother before reading his application, liked him, then read the documentation. He immediately called me (b/c the sponsor has to be listed on all residential applications), and then called me repeatedly for several weeks thereafter, to scream at maximum volume about how he was going to sue me for knowingly letting a felon come to his house.

So, yes, it might be a tough road. Your state likely has an advocacy program or, failing that, some sort of re-entry resources that may help.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:04 PM on November 11, 2015