Finding housing after a conviction can be difficult. You still have options.
Apartments for Felons

Felon Friendly Apartments in Chicago, IL

Searching for felon friendly apartments in Chicago? Explore apartment communities, houses, and other housing options. “Felon friendly” is a search term, not a verified designation. Confirm each property's screening rules; approval is never guaranteed.

Screening records in Chicago

Showing 1–18 of 342 matching records

1203 & 1237 N California

Area reference; locations may vary

Contact property to verifyUnverified

16 N Lorel

16-18 N Lorel Ave

CHA directory property

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23rd Place at Southbridge

2310 S State

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

3714-16 W. Wrightwood Apartments

3714-3716 W Wrightwood Ave

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

4400 Grove

4400 South Cottage Grove

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

4441-47 S Greenwood

4441 S Greenwood Ave

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

5150 Northwest Apartments

5150 N Northwest Hwy

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

5751 S Michigan (Harriet Tubman Apartments )

5755-5759 S Michigan Ave/108-114 E 58th St

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

5801 S Michigan (Sojourner Truth Apartments)

103-115 E 58th St/ 5801 S Michigan Ave

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

5840 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Apartments

5840 S Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

600 S Wabash Apartments

618 S Wabash Ave

CHA directory property

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65th Infantry Regiment Veterans Housing

1045 N Sacramento Ave

CHA directory property

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9000 S Justine Apartments

1531-1539 W 90th St

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

Abbott Square

Area reference; locations may vary

Contact property to verifyUnverified

Ada S. Dennison-McKinley Apartments

661 E 69th St

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

Albany Park Scattered Sites

Area reference; locations may vary

Contact property to verifyUnverified

Albany Terrace Apartments

3030 W 21st Pl

CHA directory property

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Alfreda Barnett Duster Apartments

150 S Campbell Ave

CHA directory property

Contact property to verifyUnverified

Can someone with a felony record rent in Chicago?

Screening practices and applicable requirements can vary by property and location. Ask each housing provider about its current criteria and verify reported policy details directly. For questions about your rights, consider consulting a qualified local housing or legal resource. Approval is never guaranteed.

Chicago is the largest city in the Midwest and the heart of Cook County, and it has one of the more significant tenant-protection frameworks among the cities on this site. For applicants with a felony record, that legal backdrop can genuinely matter, because Cook County has an ordinance addressing how landlords may use criminal history in screening. That doesn't guarantee approval, but it shapes the process. The market itself is huge and varied, ranging from dense urban neighborhoods to outlying areas, with a wide range of landlords and price points. Preparing your documentation, knowing your rights, and applying broadly all help. This page explains the local screening landscape and how to put your strongest application forward.

Local housing information for Chicago

Local rental overview

As a large, diverse metro, Chicago has a wide range of rental stock and price points across many neighborhoods, with market conditions differing sharply from one area to the next and changing over time. [NEEDS VERIFICATION: confirm current rent ranges and vacancy for target Chicago neighborhoods before quoting numbers.] The Chicago area is served by public housing authorities and by federal rental assistance programs. Some applicants with records may qualify depending on the offense and timing, but eligibility follows federal and local rules that change, so verify directly.

Criminal screening overview

Cook County's Just Housing Amendment to its Human Rights Ordinance restricts how landlords may use criminal history in tenant screening — for example, by limiting consideration of certain older records and requiring an individualized assessment rather than a blanket ban. This is a real ordinance, but its exact requirements and covered properties have specific details, so confirm the current provisions before relying on them. [NEEDS VERIFICATION: confirm the current specific requirements and any exemptions of the Cook County Just Housing Amendment before quoting details.] Even under this ordinance, approval is never guaranteed, and landlords may still consider recent, relevant history along with income and rental record. Knowing what your own report shows helps you prepare.

Application tips

- Learn how the Cook County Just Housing Amendment applies to your situation, and verify current details. - Order your own background report so you can spot errors and prepare explanations. - Show proof of steady income and, where possible, offer a larger deposit. - Collect references from a former landlord, employer, or reentry caseworker. - Ask each property about its screening process, since even with local rules, practices vary.

Local housing resources

Official Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) directory: https://www.thecha.org/properties (reviewed September 28, 2026). Its 35 pages list 344 unique property entries: 342 with Chicago, IL directory locations, one in Oak Park, and one in Evanston. The Chicago entries appear as separate source-linked records on this guide. CHA's source categories across the full 344 are 118 family public housing, 24 senior public housing, 199 Project Based Voucher (PBV) and 3 Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) entries. The two suburban entries are PBV and appear under their actual municipalities, not Chicago. Some directory entries describe scattered sites, multiple locations, or intersections; their displayed location does NOT identify the address of every apartment in the group. Source detail pages give program, intended audience, community area, descriptions, published bedroom inventories and property-specific conditions where available; blanks are not filled by assumption. The directory's estimated wait for eligibility screening is an estimate, not an advertised vacancy or a confirmed open application list. CHA's https://www.thecha.org/public-housing page discusses some open waitlists in general, but this does NOT establish that all 344 sites are open. Check current property/program status and apply at https://applyonline.thecha.org/home . CHA property details say screening measures include a criminal-background check and may include a credit check or home visit; the directory does not establish a blanket felony acceptance or denial. Use official eligibility and screening criteria and ask the listed manager for property-specific requirements. CHA main office: 60 E Van Buren St, Chicago IL 60605; 312-742-8500; TTY 866-331-3603, per https://www.thecha.org/contact-us . This guide is informational, not a vacancy notice, approval or individual eligibility finding.

How we verify this information

Reported screening policies come from properties, management companies, and renter-submitted experiences, and each record shows when it was last verified. Policies can change at any time—always confirm directly with the property.

Our data methodologyReport outdated info

Nearby areas

Aurora→Elgin→Evanston→Joliet→Oak Park→Rockford→

Frequently asked questions

Does Cook County limit how landlords use my criminal record?

Yes, the Cook County Just Housing Amendment restricts how landlords may use criminal history and generally requires an individualized assessment rather than a blanket ban. The exact details and any exemptions matter, so verify the current provisions. It doesn't guarantee approval.

What is an individualized assessment in Chicago screening?

Broadly, it means a landlord should consider the specifics of your situation rather than automatically rejecting anyone with a record. The precise requirements come from the local ordinance, so confirm how they apply before relying on them.

Do these protections mean I'll be approved in Chicago?

No. The ordinance shapes how landlords screen, but no rule requires a private landlord to rent to you. Landlords may still weigh recent, relevant history, income, and rental record. Apply broadly and document your stability.

Request Housing Help

Tell us where you want to live and we will review your request and point you toward relevant housing resources. This is not a rental application, and approval is never guaranteed.

This page is informational only and is not a rental application. Reported policies can change at any time and approval is never guaranteed. Contact the property directly to verify. Last updated October 7, 2026.

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