The short answer
Expect the property to ask for your court papers and to run a criminal screen apart from credit and rental history. Some communities look at each applicant one by one, and a few kinds of charges get turned down almost everywhere. If there’s a risk fee, it usually runs above what communities charge for credit issues.
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
Risk fees for a criminal record usually run above the fees for credit issues.
Before you spend $50 to $75 on an application, tell us what’s on your record. We’ll point you to communities whose written criteria may fit it.
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 renting with a record, see our page on criminal background 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: criminal background · apartment risk fees