The short answer
A second chance apartment is a community with a flexible screening policy. It may work with bad credit, an eviction, a broken lease, a record, a bankruptcy or no credit. These places are legitimate: approving with conditions and charging a risk fee are both legal in Texas.
We’re the No Credit Check Apartment Team, a licensed real estate team brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TREC #562021). Between us we have more than 20 years in real estate, working with property managers across Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. We point renters with credit, eviction and record problems to communities whose criteria may fit them, and each property makes its own rental decision.
What that means for you
A yes from these properties usually comes with a condition: a risk fee, a bigger deposit, a cosigner, a guarantor company, or rent paid upfront.
It’s not a scam. The property gets a fee or a guarantor as protection, and you get a lease with terms you can meet.
How Texas communities handle it
Texas property managers screen through a handful of companies, including TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk, and AppFolio. Some check rent payment data from Experian RentBureau, and old apartment balances often show up through collection agencies like NCAC. Each one pulls up different information, and each management company reads it differently.
A denied application usually costs $50 to $75, and those fees stack up fast when you apply without knowing how a property screens.
For more on how second chance leasing works, see our homepage or the related guides below.
What to do next
Don't know where to apply, or tired of paying fees just to get turned down? Don’t guess. Send us your situation and we’ll point you to Texas communities worth a look. It’s free to you; communities pay our referral fee out of their advertising budgets.
Related reading: eviction · bad credit