Often when reviewing housing applications for tenants with criminal records, you may have questions about how best to process them. Here are some things you should take into account when considering criminal records for housing applicants:
- Nature and severity of the crime
- Conduct underlying the conviction
- Length of time since conviction and/or release
- Age of individual at time of conviction
- Evidence of rehabilitation
If criminal records may result in a denial of housing, an individualized assessment considering the following: This assessment process should be documented in the event of a question in the future. You are not required to rent to individuals with criminal records but do the necessary work to see if you can qualify the individual.
- Nature and severity of the crime
- Conduct underlying the conviction
- Length of time since conviction and/or release
- Age of individual at time of conviction
- Evidence of rehabilitation
Note: All criminal offenses must be disclosed on the rental application. Failure to disclose criminal offenses will be treated as falsification and result in denial.
Note: Best Practices per the National Multifamily Housing Council and National Apartment Association: Criminal Conviction Screening Policies May 2016
- Determine the legitimate interest of the policy
- Ignore arrests
- No automatic conviction exclusions
- Individually assess records and conduct
- Apply policy equally and consistently and monitor the impacts
- Train Staff
