Felon Friendly Apartments in Texas
Explore apartment communities, houses, and other housing options by city. “Felon friendly” is a search term, not a verified property designation. Check each property's screening rules; approval is never guaranteed.
Start with a place
Explore cities in Texas
Choose a city to see its local housing guide and available information.
Property information
Latest screening records
Records may be unverified. Check each listing's verification status and contact the property directly to confirm its current screening policy.
1011 S. Hamilton St
San Antonio, TX
Verification date not provided
1231 Rivas St. #102
San Antonio, TX
Verification date not provided
1418 Colima St.
San Antonio, TX
Verification date not provided
227 San Pablo Place
San Antonio, TX
Verification date not provided
Alamito
El Paso, TX
Verification date not provided
Alton Park
Fort Worth, TX
Verification date not provided
Read before you apply
Housing guidance for Texas
Background information, application guidance, and resources in smaller sections you can return to as needed.
About housing in Texas
If you have a felony record and you are trying to rent in Texas, the size and pace of this state work both for and against you. Texas is enormous, with several of the largest rental markets in the country, which means there is a lot of housing inventory but also a lot of competition. Many people with records rent successfully here every year, and with preparation you can be one of them, even though approval is never guaranteed.
One thing that helps is understanding that Texas does not have a single, uniform way of handling criminal history in rental applications. A national apartment operator in a growing suburb may screen very differently from an individual owner renting out a house in a smaller town. That variation is frustrating, but it also means a rejection at one property tells you little about your chances at the next one.
This guide is written to be practical and honest. We use hedged language because we cannot promise how any specific landlord will decide, and we will never claim that a property or landlord accepts felons. What we can do is walk you through how screening commonly works, how to prepare a strong application, and where to look for help.
Take it one application at a time. In our experience, steady income, a clear explanation of your situation, and a willingness to consider smaller landlords or slightly less competitive neighborhoods often make the biggest difference.
How screening varies in Texas
Across Texas, most apartment communities and property management firms screen applicants using a combination of credit, rental history, income, and criminal background checks. The state's biggest metros are fast-moving markets, and in tight rental conditions landlords can be more selective, which can raise the bar for applicants with a record. Smaller markets and individual owners often have more room for judgment.
A fact many renters find useful: under federal fair-credit rules, most non-conviction records and older items are limited in how they can be reported for many purposes, but criminal conviction records themselves are frequently reportable without the same time limits.
Texas does not have a statewide law that caps how far back a rental criminal background check may reach, so you should generally assume older convictions can still surface. Some cities may have local rules, so it is worth confirming with an attorney or local legal aid if your situation involves older or more complex history.
Federal fair housing guidance from HUD discourages blanket bans that reject every applicant with any criminal record, encouraging landlords instead to consider the nature and age of an offense. This guidance shapes how many larger Texas operators write their policies, but it does not require any private landlord to approve you, and it does not guarantee a result.
Because Texas markets move quickly, it pays to be ready before you apply: have your documents organized, know a property's criteria in advance, and be prepared to act fast when you find a place that seems open to your situation. Policies vary by property, so always ask first.
There is no universal "felony-friendly" certification. Screening policies differ by property and management company. This page does not make claims about state or local law; confirm a property's current requirements directly before applying.
Application guidance for Texas
- Ask each property for its written screening criteria up front, since fast-moving Texas markets often have strict, specific rules.
- Always be truthful on the application; an omission that surfaces later can cost you the unit and your deposit.
- Write a brief, honest cover note explaining your history and highlighting steady income, employment, or program completion.
- Have income proof ready to move quickly, such as pay stubs, a job offer, or benefit statements.
- Collect strong references from employers, caseworkers, or former landlords who can vouch for your reliability.
- If your budget allows, consider offering a larger deposit or a qualified co-signer, which some landlords may view favorably.
- Focus part of your search on individual owners and smaller properties, which may evaluate you more holistically than large complexes.
- Apply promptly and follow up politely, because in competitive markets units can be leased within days.
Texas resources
- Call 211 (United Way 211) for free referrals to rental assistance, shelters, and reentry services across Texas. 211 is available statewide; call or visit 211.org to search by ZIP code.
- HUD provides general renter rights information and national rental assistance directories at hud.gov. Use HUD's resource locator to find programs currently serving your area.
- Local public housing authorities across Texas administer subsidized housing and vouchers under their own admissions rules. Contact the housing authority for your city or county directly — 211 can help you identify the right agency and check on waitlist availability.
- The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (tdhca.state.tx.us) administers state-level housing programs and maintains a Housing Resource Center (hrc.tdhca.state.tx.us) listing assistance by county. Review their directory for programs that may apply to you.
- Your regional Continuum of Care coordinates homelessness and rehousing assistance. In Houston, The Way Home (thewayhomehouston.org) coordinates the Harris County CoC. In Dallas, Housing Forward NTX (housingforwardntx.org) leads the Dallas-area CoC. Contact 211 to find the CoC serving other parts of Texas.
- Legal aid organizations serving Texas may advise on tenant rights and housing discrimination at low or no cost. Lone Star Legal Aid (lonestarlegal.org, (713) 652-0077) serves the Houston area and much of southeast and east Texas. Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (legalaidtx.org, (214) 748-1234 for the Dallas office) covers north and west Texas. Use lawhelp.org/TX for statewide referrals.
- Reentry, workforce, and nonprofit groups in Texas may help with housing navigation for people leaving incarceration. Dial 211 to identify reentry providers near you and confirm current services.
KENNEDY PLACE HOUSTON PUBLIC-HOUSING PROFILE REVIEW — Kennedy Place, 3100 Gillespie St, Houston, TX 77020, is one Houston Housing Authority public-housing development, listed by Housing Alliance HTX at https://www.alliancehtx.org/public-housing.
The supplied July 2026 https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/693a083bb9dac41de47a7499/6a66838ae3f95147b7f90bcc_Kennedy%20Place.pdf reports 108 units, not an available-unit count: 20 one-, 58 two-, 26 three- and 4 four-bedroom. The old 60-unit site was demolished in 2009 and rebuilt in 2011. Authority-wide income guidance is not a current property rent or a confirmed opening.
The instructional June 22–July 6 waitlist window at https://www.alliancehtx.org/public-housing-waitlist is not proof applications are open now. No Kennedy Place-specific criminal-history approval was verified; see Houston city resources for the full profile and application caution.
DHA DALLAS LINKED PROPERTY DIRECTORY REVIEW — DHA's https://dhantx.com/applicants/public-housing/properties/, reviewed September 29, 2026, links 29 named Dallas property profiles, though its overview says 31 properties and approximately 5,000 units across North Texas. Imported only the linked Dallas profiles, with 3524 source-described units, NOT live vacancies.
Source detail pages include senior housing, family residences and multi-address homes; nine conflicting or scattered locations are deliberately unpinned.
Its https://dhantx.com/applicants/public-housing/apply-for-a-public-housing-residence/ accepts ongoing preliminary applications through RentCafe, but individual dated September lottery notices and criminal-background screening do not establish current openings or approval for applicants with convictions. See Dallas city resources and individual property records for sources and caveats.
HACA AUSTIN PATHWAYS PBRA DIRECTORY REVIEW — HACA https://austinha.org/find-housing/our-pathway-properties/, reviewed September 29, 2026, lists 18 Austin Pathways project-based rental assistance profiles with 2300 source-described total units, NOT live vacancies. The directory and https://austinha.org/helpful-articles/applicants/how-do-i-apply/en/ label Pathways waitlists closed.
Its bedroom “Available” labels describe sizes only.
Some properties are redevelopments with future/reported reopening dates, and one multi-address community is deliberately unpinned. https://austinha.org/helpful-articles/applicants/do-i-qualify-for-housing-assistance/en/ directs applicants to property-specific Tenant Selection Plans for credit, rental-history and criminal screening; acceptance of a particular conviction is not established.
See Austin city resources and each profile for details and source discrepancies.
FWHS FIVE-PAGE PROPERTY DIRECTORY REVIEW — https://fwhs.org/housing-programs/our-properties/, reviewed September 29, 2026. The five directory pages contain 52 distinct property cards, 46 labelled Fort Worth and six in five surrounding localities (Haslet, Euless, Burleson, Everman and Roanoke). Six cards match the site's Senior Housing filter; none supplies an age threshold on the directory.
FWHS https://fwhs.org/housing-programs/ describes 52 mixed-income properties and 10,015 units across the portfolio and scattered sites, NOT individual vacancies. https://fwhs.org/housing-programs/housing-assistance-options/ says it transitioned out of traditional public housing and some communities mix subsidized and other rents.
Individual housing type, income, bedroom, vacancy and criminal-history policies require direct property confirmation. Conflicting FWHS map/card locality or ZIP claims are described on the individual records, with two unpinned.
EL PASO HOME CURRENT SITE REVIEW — https://www.ephome.org/, reviewed September 29, 2026. El Paso's Housing Opportunity Management Enterprises (HOME) reports 99 communities and 11,728 affordable portfolio units but publishes no current 99-property address roster on its site. Its https://www.ephome.org/about.html names only Alamito as a residential community, with 307 rebuilt apartments (NOT vacant units).
The page's historic 508 South Virginia reference also appears as the Alamito STREAM Center in https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Search/Print/TABS2024011901; no residential pin is asserted. https://www.ephome.org/voucher.html states the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list is closed, while affordable housing and PBV have separate application paths. No current vacancy or conviction acceptance is established.
See the El Paso resource section for contact, source limitations and program links.
CCHA BLUEBONNET AND THANKSGIVING SOURCE REVIEW — https://hacc.org/bluebonnet-gardens/ and https://hacc.org/thanksgiving-homes-map/, reviewed September 29, 2026. Corpus Christi's CCHA page has 15 named residential sections (including three tax-credit sites) with 2152 total described units, not current vacancies.
Its separate Thanksgiving Homes map shows nine addresses / eleven building labels, including three buildings at 808 25th Street. The https://hacc.org/thanksgiving-homes-2/ program offers newly built homes for sale BEFORE any move to its rental pool; site-level rent/sale status is not published, so those nine locations remain city resources rather than asserted rental vacancies.
La Armada I and II are unpinned because their shared directory address is also Bluebonnet's contact point. Ask CCHA for current residential entrances, availability and screening rules.
A practical next step
Preparing your application
A little preparation can help you ask better questions before paying an application fee.
- Gather proof of income (recent pay stubs, an offer letter, or bank statements).
- Collect positive references from prior landlords or employers where possible.
- Prepare a brief, honest explanation letter that provides context for your record.
- Ask each property directly about its reported screening policy before paying any application fee.
- Confirm the lookback period and which offense types a property may consider.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What do the screening and verification statuses mean on Texas listings?
A listing's screening status describes the policy reported for that property, while its verification status describes the status of that information. Check both, along with any verification date, and contact the property directly because policies can change.
Are all Texas listings verified?
No. Unverified records may be publicly visible. Each listing displays its verification status, and a verification date appears when one is available.
Does a listing in Texas guarantee approval?
No. A listing is not a promise of acceptance. Screening policies and decisions are made by each property; contact it directly to confirm its current requirements before applying.
Where can I find state-specific guidance for Texas?
If state guidance or resources are provided on this page, review them below. This page is informational only and does not determine how a property's screening policy applies to you.
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.