The complete guide to Texas apartment screening.
Here are our Texas apartment screening guides on bad credit, rental history, bankruptcy, criminal records and guarantors. Pick the question you have, and we'll check the property's current rules before you pay to apply.
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The Texas Renter Resource Guide
Free help programs, questions to ask before you pay fees, cost comparisons and messages you can reuse, all in one guide.
Read the complete renter guideSecond chance leasing basics
What Screening Companies Do Texas Apartments Use?
TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk and AppFolio, plus RentBureau rent data and NCAC collections. Each shows something different, and the vendor affects what the property sees.
What If I Have More Than One Screening Problem at Once?
Eviction plus bad credit? Stacked problems narrow your options, but they rarely close them. Income, risk fees, and where you apply all change the odds.
The Danger of CPNs and Fake Paystubs When Renting
Using a CPN is federal fraud, and Texas managers often catch fake paystubs. Here's the legal way to look for a second chance apartment instead.
How Do Apartments That Don't Check Credit Actually Work?
Most apartments still run a credit check. Second chance communities may take bad credit, often with a risk fee, a bigger deposit or a guarantor.
Is Your Apartment Locating Service Really Free?
Yes, our apartment locating is 100% free to renters. Communities pay us a referral fee from their ad budgets. Here's how the money works.
Luxury Second Chance Apartments: Renting Premium Units With Old Marks
Strong income but an old credit or rental mark? Some premium Texas high rise buildings and lofts may still approve you, usually with a risk fee.
Same Day Apartment Approval in Texas: How Fast Properties Decide
Need to move fast? How quick approval works at Texas communities and which documents to have ready.
What Is a Second Chance Apartment (and Are They Legitimate)?
A second chance apartment considers renters with credit or history issues through conditional approval, risk fees, or guarantors. It's a normal, legal practice.
Bad credit apartments
What Is a Risk Fee / Conditional Approval Fee?
A risk fee can get a lower score a second look at some communities. Expect a few hundred dollars for credit and more for an eviction or record, usually charged once on top of your deposit.
Can I Get an Apartment With a 500 Credit Score?
Some Texas communities with conditional approval consider a 500 credit score, sometimes with a risk fee. A 500 with no old rent owed gets a second look more often.
What Credit Score Do You Need to Rent an Apartment in Texas?
Many Texas communities set a 550 to 620 minimum, and many look at income and your whole application too. Some are flexible, and a risk fee can move the line.
Guarantor vs. Higher Deposit vs. Cosigner for Bad Credit
Guarantor, bigger deposit, or cosigner? We compare the cost, where each is accepted, and which screening problems each one may help with.
Hard Cutoff vs. Full Review Screening: Which Apartments to Target
Stop burning application fees at properties with a hard credit cutoff, and apply where they review your whole file instead.
How Medical Debt and Collections Affect Apartment Approval
Not all debt counts the same. Some Texas communities discount medical collections, and documentation helps.
Foreclosure or Tax Lien on Your Record: Renting Again
Former homeowner going back to renting? A foreclosure stays on your credit for 7 years, and tax liens no longer show up on credit reports. Texas communities often go easier on a foreclosure than an eviction.
Eviction apartments
Does a Dismissed Eviction Still Show Up on Screening?
A dismissed eviction filing can still show up, but properties usually treat it more lightly than a judgment. A certified dismissal order from the court is the proof managers want.
Eviction vs. Broken Lease: What's the Difference for Renting?
An eviction means a landlord went to court. A broken lease means you left owing money. That difference changes which communities will consider you.
Filed vs. Granted vs. Dismissed Evictions Explained
Filed, granted, and dismissed evictions get screened differently. How Texas JP courts record each one changes your odds, and the court's paperwork proves the outcome.
How Long Does an Eviction Stay on Your Record in Texas?
Evictions usually show up on screening for 5 to 7 years, and court records stay public. The older the eviction, the more communities open up.
Renting After Multiple Evictions in Texas
Multiple evictions get an almost automatic denial at many communities, but some will consider them with 3x to 4x income and a higher risk fee.
Second Chance Apartments After an Eviction: What to Expect
Renting after an eviction? Many properties ask for a risk fee and set an income requirement. Here are the documents to prepare and how we narrow your options.
How Texas JP Eviction Records Reach Screening Databases
Texas evictions are filed in the Justice of the Peace court for the precinct where the property sits. Screening companies pick up those filings, even when a community doesn’t search court records itself.
Criminal background apartments
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Broken lease apartments
How Long Does a Broken Lease Stay on Your Record?
A broken lease shows up on rental history reports for years, depending on the vendor. One from two or three years ago opens more communities, and paying it off helps.
Paid vs. Unpaid Broken Lease: How Managers Treat Them
Whether you paid it is one of the biggest things managers look at. Screening tells them apart, and paying in full or settling helps.
What to Expect Renting With a Broken Lease on Your Record
Renting with a broken lease? Properties that take one often add conditions or a risk fee. Here are the documents to bring.
How to Get a Zero Balance Letter for a Broken Lease
A zero balance or paid in full letter shows the property the old debt is settled. Ask your old community or the collection agency for one, and hand it in with your application.
Bankruptcy apartments
Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 for Renting an Apartment
Your bankruptcy chapter changes your odds. A discharged Chapter 7 and an active Chapter 13 with reduced income get checked differently, and each needs its own documents.
Does Discharged Bankruptcy Help or Hurt Apartment Approval?
Some communities like a discharged bankruptcy better than active collections, and others still flag it. The same debt can show up as a broken lease too.
Can I Rent an Apartment After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?
Yes, especially once discharged. Some communities treat a discharged Chapter 7 as a clean slate once you show the discharge paperwork.
Renting With an Active Chapter 13 Repayment Plan
An active Chapter 13 is tougher than a discharged Chapter 7 since the plan payment cuts the income you can show. Some communities count what's left, and we keep track of their criteria.
No credit history apartments
Alternative Proof: Bank Statements and Employment Verification
Many Texas communities accept alternative proof: bank statements, employment verification, and private landlord history. You'll still need to meet the income minimums.
How to Rent Your First Apartment With No Credit History
No credit history? You can rent your first apartment with bank statements, a job offer, savings, or a cosigner where communities accept alternative verification.
No Credit vs. Bad Credit: Apartment Search Options
No credit is an unknown risk, and alternative proof can answer it. Bad credit is a known low score that usually takes a risk fee or guarantor. No credit is usually easier to fix.
Renting in Texas as an International Worker Without US Credit
No US credit file? Some communities accept foreign credit reports, visa docs, and employer letters, and we track which ones.
Guarantor & cosigner
How Much Does a Lease Guarantor Cost in Texas?
A lease guarantor usually costs 70% to 110% of one month's rent, on top of your deposit and first month. We run the full move-in math and compare it to a deposit or a cosigner.
What Is a Third-Party Guarantor and How Does It Work?
A guarantor company cosigns your lease for a fee. Here's how their approval check works, which Texas providers you'll see (such as TheGuarantors and OneApp), and where they fall short.
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