How to Get Approved for an Apartment with a 500 Credit Score

The process of finding an apartment in Phoenix becomes extremely challenging when you have a criminal record. Rental applications frequently deny applicants before they can present their situation when they have any type of criminal offense from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies.

People with criminal records should know that they still have available apartments options. Prestige Realty in Phoenix operates as an apartment locating service which assists individuals who struggle to find apartments because of their criminal background or past lease issues or eviction history or poor credit scores. 

The following article explains seven essential advantages of working with apartment locators for Phoenix residents who have misdemeanor or felony convictions and require housing.

The process of finding an apartment in Phoenix becomes extremely challenging when you have a criminal record. Rental applications frequently deny applicants before they can present their situation when they have any type of criminal offense from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies.

People with criminal records should know that they still have available apartments options. Prestige Realty in Phoenix operates as an apartment locating service which assists individuals who struggle to find apartments because of their criminal background or past lease issues or eviction history or poor credit scores. 

The following article explains seven essential advantages of working with apartment locators for Phoenix residents who have misdemeanor or felony convictions and require housing.

Due to strict housing laws and apartment community policies, we are not able to assist anyone with a history of sex offenses or sex-related crimes. These types of charges are considered lifetime restrictions by most landlords and property managers in Phoenix and across the U.S.

If this applies to your situation, unfortunately no second chance apartment programs are available.

We are able to assist renters with:

• Non-violent misdemeanors

• older misdemeanors
• misdeameanors drug charges ( older the better)
• DUI ( both misdeameanors and felonies )

• Older felonies (depending on how much time has passed) some over 5 years , most over 7 years.

• Rental judgments, broken leases, or past evictions that are older.  ( a recent rental issues in combination with a felony is extermly difficult )

• Credit challenges such as low scores, collections, or repossessions

Lets break down more into misdemeanors

Misdemeanors are generally much easier to work with compared to felonies. Many Phoenix landlords are willing to overlook older or minor misdemeanors, especially if you can show stable income and rental history.  Any history of harm or violence against another person will almost always result in denial from certain apartment communities.

If you have a misdemeanor related to violence or drugs, the process is still manageable, but it can come with restrictions:

• Some apartment communities may require the charge to be at least 1–3 years old.

• Marijuana misdemeanors are generally ok.

DUI misdemeanor are generally ok.

If you have a violent misdemeanor, such as assault or domestic violence, many apartment communities in Phoenix will require at least three years to have passed since the conviction before they will consider approval.

• If the charge is more recent than three years, most properties will automatically deny the application.

• After three years, some landlords may allow approval with additional conditions, such as a higher deposit or proof of stable rental history.

• Apartment locators can help identify which communities are open to reviewing applications once this time period has passed.

This is typically ok as long as its a Misdemeanor

Felonies are always taken more seriously than misdemeanors by landlords and property managers. While every apartment community sets its own rules, here are the most common patterns in Phoenix:

• Felonies within the last 5 years are the hardest to overcome.

• Many apartments will issue an automatic denial if the felony is recent, regardless of circumstances.

If you are still on probation or parole, most apartment communities in Phoenix will not approve your application.

Landlords view this as a high risk because:

• They worry about the possibility of re-offending and returning to jail.

• They fear you may not be able to fulfill the full lease term.

• Many property management companies have strict rules that automatically deny applicants who are not fully discharged from probation or parole.

For the best chance at approval, most communities require that probation or parole be fully completed before considering your application.

The most prevalent criminal history that Phoenix apartment communities face involves drug-related felonies. The management of drug-related felonies by landlords in Phoenix operates separately from their approach to violent criminal offenses.

• Recent Drug Felonies: If the charge is less than 5-7  years old, most apartments will deny the application.

• Older Drug Felonies: Once the conviction is beyond the 7-year mark, some landlords may allow approval, especially if you’ve had steady employment and rental history since.

• Type of Drug Felony: The court tends to view non-trafficking or possession felonies as less serious than manufacturing or distribution offenses.

Even with these challenges, an apartment locator can help connect you with second chance apartments in Phoenix that are more open to working with older drug-related convictions.

The severity of a DUI offense depends on multiple factors including multiple offenses and serious injuries or reckless endangerment. Phoenix apartment communities enforce felony DUI cases with more severity than misdemeanors yet less severity than violent criminal offenses.

• Why Felony DUIs Are Taken Seriously
  A felony DUI is viewed as a liability concern, since it suggests potential risk to both tenants and property.

• Recent Felony DUI (Within 5 Years)
  Most landlords will issue an automatic denial if the felony DUI occurred in the last five years.

• Older Felony DUI (Over 7 Years)
  The approval process for older felony DUI cases may vary between communities but most will consider applicants who show stable employment and financial and housing records for at least seven years.

• Multiple DUIs
  Even if older, repeated DUI convictions make approvals more difficult because landlords may fear recurring behavior.

• Role of an Apartment Locator
  Apartment locators can help applicants identify Phoenix communities that are more flexible in reviewing older felony DUI cases.

The approval process for apartment rentals in Phoenix becomes extremely challenging when applicants have committed violent felonies. Here’s how most landlords and property managers approach these cases:

• Why Landlords View Violent Felonies as Risky
  The presence of violent felony charges makes landlords and property managers believe these offenses create substantial threats to building residents and personnel.

• Automatic Rejection Within 7–10 Years
  Most apartment communities will automatically reject applicants who received their recent violent felony convictions during the past 7 to 10 years.

• Possibility of Approval After 7–10 Years
  The approval process for older violent felony convictions becomes possible after 7 to 10 years when applicants demonstrate stable employment and positive rental history and obtain personal references.

• Domestic Violence Charges
  The presence of domestic violence charges leads landlords to view them as warning signs regardless of how much time has elapsed since the offense.

• Why Domestic Violence Is Treated Differently
  The approval process for domestic violence cases varies between apartment communities because some properties refuse all applications while others impose additional requirements such as higher deposits and stricter lease terms and cosigner requirements.

• How Apartment Locators Help
  An apartment locator serves as the only resource which reveals which Phoenix communities will accept your application after a violent felony conviction.

The process of renting an apartment becomes extremely challenging when someone has committed felonies that resulted in major property destruction through arson or vandalism or property destruction.

The direct threat these cases pose to building structures makes it extremely challenging for landlords and property managers to approve rental applications. Here’s how most apartments handle these situations:

1. Automatic Rejection Within 7 Years
   Most rental properties will automatically reject applicants who received their property damage felony convictions during the previous seven years.
2. Possibility of Approval After 7 Years
   Some landlords will evaluate older property damage felony cases for approval when applicants demonstrate stable housing and financial responsibility since their conviction date which occurred more than seven years ago.
3. Why Landlords Deny These Cases
   The main reason landlords deny applications stems from property damage offenses because they directly threaten the safety of their investment assets.
4. Highest Risk Felonies in the Eyes of Landlords
   The two most dangerous felony offenses which landlords view as major threats include violent crimes and property damage cases.

The main source of frustration for people occurs when they submit applications to ideal apartments but receive rejections after spending money on application fees. The rental requirements of apartment complexes differ from one another because they perform background checks.

• Some apartments may deny anyone with a felony, no matter how old.

• Others are more flexible, depending on the charge and how much time has passed.

• A few properties are specifically known as “second chance apartments” in Phoenix.

An apartment locator understands these rules before starting work. The service saves you from spending time searching and application fee costs by connecting you with communities that accept your specific housing needs.

If you search online for “second chance apartments near me,” you’ll find limited and often outdated information. Apartment locators have up-to-date databases of which complexes accept tenants with misdemeanors or felonies.

This insider knowledge makes all the difference. 

• Non-violent misdemeanors after one year
• Felonies that are more than 7 years old
• Situations where you have strong rental history since the charge

Instead of guessing, a locator will connect you directly to landlords that already understand your background.