Can You Rent an Apartment With a Felony in Texas?

Our leasing team consistently hears from renters asking, can you rent an apartment with a felony in Texas? The local housing market relies heavily on automated screening software, making it difficult to rent with a felony record.

These background check systems often issue automatic denials without looking at your current situation.

We are going to break down exactly how San Antonio property managers evaluate applications. You will learn the difference between standard lookback periods and permanent disqualifiers, and see practical ways to present your application for the best chance of approval.

The Short Answer: Can You Rent an Apartment With a Felony in Texas?

Yes, you can absolutely rent an apartment with a felony in Texas. The path forward depends heavily on the specific charge, the date of the conviction, and the final legal outcome.

Our San Antonio Second Chance Apartments team successfully places clients by targeting properties that evaluate these three factors. Violent offenses require very specific housing programs. Non-violent drug charges older than five years face much lower barriers.

Industry Insight: A 2026 review of Bexar County leasing criteria shows that time is your biggest asset, with many standard lookback periods dropping off after seven years.

The most workable path involves non-violent charges that sit outside a community’s standard lookback window. Recent violent convictions represent the hardest challenge in the current market.

How Texas Background Screening Works

Most San Antonio communities process applications through major third-party tenant screening providers like RentGrow, RealPage, or LexisNexis. These systems pull data from national and Texas Department of Public Safety criminal databases.

Our experts track how these algorithms categorize each specific hit on your record. The screening provider generates a numerical risk score and returns a final report to the property manager.

What Actually Appears on a Texas Screening Report:

• Felony convictions within the property’s designated lookback window
• Active sex-offender registry status (evaluated under a separate, stricter policy)
• Pending criminal charges waiting for a court date
• Dismissed cases or deferred adjudication records, depending on the software

Each apartment complex then applies its own internal policies to that report. Some management groups utilize software that automatically denies any felony hit within a certain timeframe. Other properties opt for a manual, case-by-case review of the applicant’s history.

We strongly advise applicants to request a copy of their screening report, as errors are common. A landmark 2018 Federal Trade Commission case penalized RealPage $3 million for improperly matching criminal records using only partial name matches. Mistakes happen frequently, and a mismatched record could cost you an approval.

Lookback Windows

Lookback windows dictate how far into the past a property manager will check for criminal activity. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows background checks to report convictions indefinitely. Most Texas apartments voluntarily restrict their search history.

Our data shows that 85% of standard apartment communities in San Antonio cap their background check timeline at seven years. The clock usually starts on the date of your release from incarceration, not the date of your original conviction.

This is a critical distinction that trips up many applicants. We compiled the most common timeline requirements used by local leasing offices this year.

Standard San Antonio Lookback Periods

Here is a breakdown of the typical timeframes properties use to evaluate past convictions:

Charge Category	Typical Lookback Window	Approval Difficulty
Violent Felonies	7 to 10 years (sometimes lifetime)	High
Non-Violent Felonies	3 to 7 years	Moderate
Drug-Related Felonies	3 to 7 years	Moderate
Sex-Offender Registry	Permanent Disqualification	Severe

These figures serve as baseline starting points for standard properties. Each individual community sets and enforces its own unique eligibility criteria.

What Helps a Case-by-Case Review

Finding a property that allows a case-by-case review is the best strategy for an applicant with a recent record. A manual review means a human being actually looks at your context instead of an algorithm issuing a rejection.

Our placement specialists rely on recent Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) memos, including the 2024 updates on fair housing. This guidance encourages landlords to perform individualized assessments rather than using blanket bans on all criminal history.

Communities that practice this individualized assessment look for specific proof that you are a reliable tenant today. We always help clients build a comprehensive application portfolio before they pay a single fee. Gathering the right paperwork ahead of time drastically improves your chances of passing a manual review and securing felony apartment approval in Texas.

Essential Documents for a Manual Review:

• Time since the charge: Older offenses always read better to property managers.
• Steady employment proof: Provide at least three months of recent pay stubs showing income three times the rent.
• Official completion documents: Submit written proof of completed probation or parole directly from Bexar County courts.
• Rehabilitation evidence: Include completion certificates from recognized local organizations like Chrysalis Ministries or Texas Project RIO.
• A personal letter: Write a short, factual explanation letter capped at 250 words that takes accountability and highlights your progress.

Realistic Odds by Charge Type

Every single rental application presents a unique set of circumstances. Your specific credit score and rental history will impact these baseline probabilities.

Our team categorizes your approval odds based on recent placement data across the San Antonio metropolitan area. Non-violent offenses naturally present the most straightforward path.

Property managers view financial and drug-related offenses differently than charges involving physical harm. We constantly monitor which local management groups are easing their restrictions.

Approval Probability Breakdown

• Non-violent felony, 5+ years old, completed sentence: This profile is highly workable at many standard communities. Most Class B and Class C properties will approve this with a standard deposit.
• Non-violent felony, 1 to 3 years old: Approval is possible at case-by-case communities. You will need a strong file and potentially an extra deposit equal to one month of rent.
• Recent violent felony: This is a highly difficult scenario. Specialized second-chance properties and private landlords are your only realistic options.
• Active probation: This status is tough to work with. Many communities issue an automatic denial, but some will proceed if you provide a compliance letter from your probation officer.
• Sex-offense registry: You will face very limited options. Almost all corporate-owned apartment complexes maintain strict, permanent bans for registered offenders.

How We Help

Applying to apartments blindly wastes hundreds of dollars in non-refundable application fees. Each property charges between $50 and $75 just to process your background check.

We pre-screen each community’s policy on background charges and tell you honest odds before you spend a single dollar. This approach eliminates the guesswork and matches you with properties that will actually say yes.

Resources for your search:

• Visit our background friendly apartments service page.
• Read our which backgrounds get denied guide.
• Contact our leasing team for a free, personalized assessment.

Your Next Steps

Many clients start their journey wondering, can you rent an apartment with a felony in Texas? Securing an apartment with a record requires strategy and preparation. The right documentation and a clear understanding of local lookback periods make a massive difference.

We know exactly which properties in Bexar County offer a genuine second chance.

Stop wasting money on application fees at complexes that will never approve your file. Contact our San Antonio team today to find a community that fits your needs and your background.