# Felony Friendly Apartment Searches in Texas | Free Help > Get free Texas apartment locating help when a felony or misdemeanor is on your record. We check each community's screening rules for you. URL: https://nocreditcheckapartment.com/criminal-background/ Criminal Background Searching for felony friendly apartments in Texas? Our free locating team points you to communities whose criteria may fit your record. We check those criteria ourselves and tell you which documents each community wants. How a property reviews a record is up to the property. [Start Your Free Search](/find-apartments/) Last updated: October 19, 2026 20+ Years In Real Estate Between Us 7 Screening Situations We Cover 100% Free To Renters TREC #562021 Brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group ## Sound familiar? A few things to sort out before your next application. Which communities on my list may consider my kind of record? Which case details and dates does this property look at? Which court papers, if any, does the property need to see how the case ended? Stacked problems (criminal + bad credit + eviction) with no idea which communities will look at more than one A clean credit report won’t get you past a blanket criminal denial. What matters is whether it was a felony or a misdemeanor, the type of charge, and how long ago it was. Between us, we have more than 20 years in real estate, working with property managers in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth. We track which communities look at each record individually and which ones deny every record. ## What Decides Your Approval Chances How serious the charge is: misdemeanors like an old DWI, marijuana possession, or theft under $2,500 get past screening far more often than felonies. Which charges tend to fare better: - Drug possession, misdemeanor theft, fraud, DWI: get a second look more often than other charges - Felony theft: a tougher sell, often needing 7+ years. Violent felonies like aggravated assault and robbery: usually denied, and only a few communities look again after 10+ years - Sex offenses, arson: denied almost everywhere How long ago it was: most communities we work with want five to seven years since you finished your sentence (including probation or parole). Some count from the conviction date instead. Older records tend to get a softer look over time. From what we see, garden style and mid rise communities in Arlington, Plano, and Katy may bend more on timing than downtown high rises. Deferred adjudication in Texas: not a formal conviction, but it can still show on LeasingDesk or SmartMove reports. Read our [guide to deferred adjudication screening](/guide/deferred-adjudication-apartment-screening/) for the specifics. ## How Fair Housing Rules Affect Renters With Records In 2016, HUD said blanket criminal denials may break the Fair Housing Act since they hit protected groups harder (called disparate impact). HUD [withdrew that guidance in 2025](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USHUDFHA/2025/11/26/file_attachments/3474936/SOHUD%20Letter%20on%20Criminal%20Screening%20Responsibilities%20of%20PHAs%20and%20Owners_final.pdf), but the [Fair Housing Act](https://www.hud.gov/helping-americans/fair-housing-act-overview) itself still applies. Some Texas property managers switched to individual review, where they look at the details of your record instead of denying any conviction on sight. Many haven’t. In Austin, the city's own criminal history rules only cover affordable properties it helped fund. In Fort Worth and San Antonio, it varies a lot from one management company to the next. That split between individual review and blanket denial shapes your chances, and we track it community by community. Read more in our [guide to the 2016 HUD criminal background guidance](/guide/hud-2016-criminal-background-guidance/). ## Matching by Charge Type for Texas Renters We track how Texas communities say they treat different charges, metro by metro. Then we help you pull together the paperwork that counts at an individual review: - Letters showing you finished your sentence from the court or probation office - Probation discharge records - Character references from employers, clergy, or landlords you rented from for years - Proof of rehabilitation (programs you finished, a steady job, ties to your community) Stacked problems, like a criminal record plus an eviction plus bad credit, are harder. We look for Texas communities that may consider more than one problem. They usually want verified income of 3x to 4x the rent and charge a higher risk fee than they ask for credit alone. See our [eviction apartment locating](/eviction/) and [bad credit apartment locating](/bad-credit/) pages for help with those. ### How We Compare FeatureTypical Apartment SearchNo Credit Check Apartment TeamMatching by charge typeGeneric listings, no screening detailPicked by your type of charge and how long ago it wasCost to renter$50 to $75 per application (often denied)100% free. Communities pay usTurnaroundDays of research on your ownSame-day reply, list in 24 to 48 weekday hoursLicensingListing sites, not licensed locatorsBrokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TREC #562021)Stacked problemsUsually rejected outrightMatching for criminal + eviction + bad credit together ## Start Your Free Apartment Search - Charge type and how the case ended (misdemeanor/felony, deferred adjudication, dismissed) - The date you finished your sentence, plus the conviction date - Any documentation you have Send us those and we’ll write back with Texas communities to look at. It's 100% free to you, and apartment communities pay the referral fee. ## What We Handle for You We go over all of this with you before you fill out a single application. Communities that look at the details instead of denying every record Matching by charge type and how long ago it was (most communities we work with want 5 to 7 years after you finish your sentence) Help with sentence completion letters, probation discharge papers, and character references Options for stacked problems (criminal + eviction + bad credit) ## Tired of paying fees just to get denied? Tell us what's going on, and we'll send you Texas communities worth a look. It's 100% free. Communities pay us, not you. [Start Your Free Search](/find-apartments/) ## Three Steps to Your Property List 1 ### Tell us the charge and when you finished What was the charge, and when did you finish your sentence, including probation or parole? We need that date and the conviction date, since communities count from different ones. 2 ### We compare screening policies We look for communities whose criminal screening policy may accept your type of charge and how long ago it was. 3 ### Get your paperwork ready and apply We coach you on sentence completion letters, probation discharge records, and character references where they help. ## Why Talk to Us Before You Apply ### We track charge types We keep track of how each community says it handles different charges and how long it wants you to wait. That’s the first thing we look at. ### What HUD said in 2016 HUD said blanket criminal denials may break the Fair Housing Act. HUD pulled that guidance in 2025, but some Texas communities still look at the details of each record. Those are the ones we target. ### Deferred adjudication in Texas Texas deferred adjudication means no formal conviction, but some screening reports still show it. We track which management companies treat it differently from a conviction. ## Frequently Asked Questions Can I rent an apartment with a felony in Texas? + It's possible at some communities. Drug possession, fraud, and DWI charges tend to get a second look more often where the community reviews the details of your record. Felony theft gets a harder look, and sex offenses and arson get denied almost everywhere. We compare your type of charge and how long ago it was with each community's written rules. How long after a conviction can I rent an apartment in Texas? + Most communities we work with want 5 to 7 years since you finished your sentence (including probation or parole). Some count from the conviction date instead. Texas law doesn't set a fixed waiting period, so it comes down to the type of offense and each community's screening policy. What about deferred adjudication in Texas? + Texas deferred adjudication isn't a formal conviction. But the record stays public until a judge grants an [order of nondisclosure](https://texaslawhelp.org/article/what-nondisclosure-order-and-how-do-i-get-one), so it can still show up on LeasingDesk or SmartMove reports. We look for communities whose screening rules treat deferred adjudication differently from a conviction. Does bad credit plus a criminal record kill my chances? + It narrows your options, but it doesn't wipe them out. Communities that will consider stacked problems usually want verified income of 3x to 4x the rent. Expect a risk fee above what they charge for credit alone. We track which Texas communities say they'll look at more than one problem. Is apartment locating for criminal backgrounds really free? + Yes, 100% free to renters. Apartment communities pay us a referral fee from their advertising budget when someone we sent them signs a lease. We're brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TREC #562021), and our team has more than 20 years in real estate. ## Criminal Background Apartment Locating Across Texas We help renters with records search for apartments in all five Texas metros we serve. Pick your area to see how local screening works and start your free search. [### Dallas Dallas County](/dallas/)[### Fort Worth Tarrant County](/fort-worth/)[### Houston Harris County](/houston/)[### Austin Travis County](/austin/)[### San Antonio Bexar County](/san-antonio/) ## Criminal Background Guides to Read Before You Apply Straight answers to the questions renters ask us most about criminal backgrounds and Texas screening. [### Can You Rent an Apartment With a Felony in Texas? Some Texas communities rent to people with a felony. The charge and how long ago it was shape how they look at it, and good credit alone won't undo a denial.](/guide/can-you-rent-with-a-felony-in-texas/)[### Deferred Adjudication in Texas and Apartment Screening Deferred adjudication isn't a formal conviction, but some reports still show it. Here's how managers treat it and what paperwork helps you explain it.](/guide/deferred-adjudication-apartment-screening/)[### How Long After a Conviction Can You Rent an Apartment? Most communities we work with count 5 to 7 years from the end of your sentence, probation and parole included. Some count from the conviction date, and the type of charge can stretch the wait.](/guide/how-long-after-conviction-can-you-rent/)[### HUD 2016 Guidance and Criminal Background Rental Screening In 2016 HUD said blanket criminal denials could break the Fair Housing Act. HUD withdrew that guidance in 2025. The Fair Housing Act itself still applies.](/guide/hud-2016-criminal-background-guidance/)[### Renting With a Misdemeanor: Which Charges Cause Trouble? An old misdemeanor, like a DWI or marijuana possession, is usually easier to rent with than a felony. Recent, violent and theft charges still cause problems, and court paperwork helps.](/guide/renting-with-a-misdemeanor/)[### What to Expect Applying With a Criminal Record Ready to apply with a record? Get your documents together and know the likely risk fee range. A locator can point you to communities whose criteria may fit your charge before you pay to apply.](/guide/what-to-expect-applying-with-criminal-record/) ## Other Screening Problems We Handle [### Eviction Apartment Locating For renters with a formal eviction on record. It’s one of the tougher rental history problems to get past.](/eviction/)[### Bad Credit Apartment Locating Low score or collections? Some Texas communities take a risk fee or a guarantor instead of a flat denial. Our search help is free.](/bad-credit/)[### Third-Party Guarantor & Cosigner Assistance If you don't pass screening and don't have a personal cosigner, a guarantor company can cosign the lease for a fee.](/guarantor-cosigner/) ## See Which Communities May Take Your File Tell us about your record and where you want to live. Our reply usually comes the same day, the list within 24 to 48 weekday hours, and the help is free. [Start Your Free Search](/find-apartments/) ## Prepare before you apply Find advice for your situation, gather your documents and plan your move-in costs. [Renter ResourcesChoose your next step with our guides and tools.](/renter-resources/)[Application checklistPrepare documents and questions before paying fees.](/calculators/application-readiness-checklist/)