Felony Friendly Apartments In Phoenix 2024

What’s the best way to find felony friendly apartments in Phoenix? Apartment hunting isn’t easy when you’ve got a felony on your record because the vast majority of landlords run rental background checks and then reject renters with criminal records.

Applying for apartments you’re never going to be approved for and paying multiple application fees is a quick way to drain your resources, so you need to plan your apartment search carefully and focus your efforts on felony-friendly apartments and landlords.

We’ve put together a quick guide to help you with your search.

Top Recommendation For Felon Friendly Apartments In Phoenix 2024

The Bellridge apartments at N 7th Street & Bell road in north Phoenix won’t win any awards but they accept renters with criminal backgrounds and that’s what matters if you’re getting turned down by everyone else because of the felony on your background report.

Bellridge offers 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments (both with 1 bath) and there’s a laundry facility on site. Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, clubhouse, fitness center, and pet park.

At the Bellridge apartments, you’re close to public transportation, schools, shopping, and entertainment.

Bellridge Felon Friendly Apartments Phoenix Contact Details:

Apartment Address: 844 E Bell Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85022.

Phone to ask about available apartments and to schedule a tour: 602-971-3506.

Look For Felon Friendly Apartments Phoenix On Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find felony-friendly apartments and houses owned by independent landlords in Phoenix.

The reason you should look for these types of rentals is you’ll be able to deal with the landlord directly instead of a property manager who has to follow an inflexible corporate rental policy.

Go to https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/phoenix/apartments-for-rent/ and browse the listings. Use the filter to expand your search radius to include Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert. Check back every day to see the newest listings.

The best way to use the marketplace is to send a message to every apartment and house rental in your price range. Speed up the process by writing a template message that you can copy and paste for each inquiry.

Your message should be short and simple, something like Hi, I’d love to take a look at your rental, can you tell me about the application process and background check fee? Thanks so much!

If they reply and say they run a background check, send another message with brief details of your felony and your current employment, income, and credit score. The landlord will either say they can’t help you, or they’ll tell you they will work with you. You may need to provide a higher security deposit, though.

Another way to use Facebook Marketplace to find felony-friendly housing in Phoenix is to make an apartment wanted to post.

Click on Marketplace.
Click on “Create New Listing”.
Select “Item Wanted”.
Give your ad the title “Looking For Felon Friendly Apartments Phoenix”.
Enter some more details about your preferred area, size, and price range. Mention how old your felony is and that you’re employed and responsible.
Choose the “Real Estate” category for your ad.
Specify the price range you can afford.
Specify the area you want to show the ad – in this case, it’s Phoenix.
Preview your ad.
If everything looks good, hit publish.

Once your ad is live, landlords willing to rent to you will reach out. You’ll probably get other responses from apartment locators who will offer to help you find an apartment, but be careful with those.

A legitimate apartment finder will have a real estate license, so be sure to ask to see it, and don’t send any money before you’ve toured the apartment.

Using Licensed Apartment Locators To Find Felony-Friendly Housing In Phoenix

Apartment locators offer free and fee-based apartment-finding services. When you use an apartment locator, you’ll work with a real estate agent who has extensive knowledge of the local rental market in Phoenix and the surrounding suburbs.

They have access to the latest rental listings in Phoenix via real estate databases, and they’ll know which apartments will approve you despite your felony. They won’t waste time by contacting leasing managers who will turn you down.

Most apartment finders will ask you to agree to a background check so they have a full picture of your criminal background, your rental history, and your credit score.

Then, they’ll reach out to leasing managers and landlords on your behalf to get you pre-approved. Using an apartment finder is a huge timesaver, and it’s the most effective way to secure an apartment or house rental when you’ve got a felony on your record.

One well-known apartment locator in Phoenix is Valley King Properties, and another that comes highly recommended is Prestige Realty Apartment Finder.

Valley King Properties Contact Details:

Website: http://valleyking.com/

Office Locations:

15610 N 35th Ave, Phoenix (covering the Greater Phoenix area) Phone: (602)504-8700
1831 E. Southern Tempe (covering Tempe, Scottsdale, and East Phoenix) Phone: (480) 756-2330
1930 S Dobson, #5 Mesa (covering Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert) Phone: (480) 491-4300
6750 W. Peoria Ave, #135 Peoria (covering West Valley, Glendale, and Peoria) Phone: (623) 878-6282

Prestige Realty Apartment Finder Contact Details:

Website: https://mynextapartment.com/

Office: 13041 N 35th Ave c1, Phoenix, AZ 85029

The team at Prestige Realty Apartment Finders will work with you if your criminal record meets the following criteria:

You must be off probation.
Your felony must be at least 7 years from the date of disposition.
More recent felonies for DUI or marijuana possession may be okay.
No sex crimes.

If your felony is within those guidelines, then go to the website and fill out the survey sheet. There’s no charge for this initial application and an agent will review your information and let you know if they can help you.

The next step is a rental screening, which includes a background check (fee of $20 per adult).

You’ll also be asked to provide a holding deposit of $300-$400 for the property they find for you.

As long as you’ve been honest on the survey sheet, you’re background check won’t reveal any surprises, so don’t worry about the fee. It won’t be wasted money.

What Do Landlords Look For In A Rental Background Check?

Landlords want responsible tenants who will take care of their property, be good neighbors, and pay the rent on time.

A rental background check helps leasing managers and landlords assess your suitability as a tenant by providing details about your:

Rental history – late payments, unpaid rent, judgements, and evictions.
Criminal background – misdemeanor and felony convictions.
Credit score – many apartments have a minimum acceptable credit score.
Credit history – open lines of credit and repayment history.

Rental background checks always come with a fee attached, so it’s essential to ask for the rental criteria before you fill out an application and pay the fee.

Request a free copy of your credit report from each of the credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union by visiting https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.

Reentry Services May Help You Find A Felon Friendly Rental in Phoenix

Reentry services work with ex-offenders to help secure basic needs like housing, employment, food, and medical care.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul is a great reentry resource for ex felons in Phoenix, and they may be able to give you some housing leads. Take a look at their help page for more details https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/get-help.

Next Steps

Contact the apartment finders at Valley King Properties and Prestige Realty. Provide your details and see if they can help you. This is the fastest and easiest way to find a nice apartment in a decent Phoenix neighborhood.

If they can’t help you, message every rental in your price range on the Phoenix Facebook Marketplace. Check each day for new rental listings. Place a rental wanted ad.

Contact the leasing office at the Bellridge apartments to see if they have apartment vacancies and to schedule a tour.

Get in touch with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul to ask for apartment recommendations. If you’re currently homeless or about to be, ask about their shelter options and food programs.

Finally, be persistent. If the apartment finders can’t help you, you’ll need to keep contacting independent landlords. The more landlords you reach out to, the sooner you’ll see success.

No background check apartments in phoenix, AZ take some effort to track down but don’t lose hope. As long as you persevere, you’ll find a new place to call home.