When you type “felon friendly apartments OKC” into a search engine, you’re no doubt hoping to see a list of apartment complexes that will rent apartments to felons.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any public lists of felon-friendly apartments in OKC because landlords don’t want regular tenants to know that ex-felons could be living in their building or complex.
So how do you find felon-friendly apartments in OKC? With so many landlords running background checks on prospective tenants, simply applying for one apartment after another isn’t a viable option. You’ll waste time and money if you follow that route.
In this guide, we’ll give you some better options.
Second Chance Felon Friendly Apartments In OKC
If you’ve already got a steady income and can afford to rent an apartment, one of the best ways to find felon-friendly apartments in Oklahoma City is to use a second-chance apartment finder.
Before you get help from a second chance apartment finder, find out the average current rent in Oklahoma City and make sure your pretax income is at least two and a half to three times that amount.
Whatever your criminal background, a landlord’s top priority is getting the rent paid on time every month.
For a rent of $800 per month, you’ll need a minimum income of $2,000 to $2,400 per month. If you’re planning to rent with a roommate or partner, you’ll find it easier to meet the income threshold. A full-time job paying at least $15 per hour should also be good enough.
Once you’re certain you can meet the average affordability requirements, you can contact second-chance apartment finders in OKC who will search for a suitable apartment on your behalf.
Second-chance apartment finders are real estate agents who specialize in finding apartments for people who can’t pass a rental background check because of bad credit, poor rental history, or a criminal record.
When you contact an agent, they’ll need to know the details of your offense. Some landlords will rent to a felon with a theft conviction but not an assault conviction, for example. Be ready to answer their questions honestly.
- What kind of felony conviction do you have?
- When were you convicted?
- Did you serve a custodial sentence?
- Are you still on probation or parole?
Often, the agent will want to run a background check on you to verify the information you’ve given and to see if there are any other problems with your credit report or rental background.
Once they’ve got a full picture of the background difficulties they need to work around, they’ll consult their database and find landlords who will rent to you based on your particular circumstances.
To find a second chance apartment agent, search online for “second chance apartment finders OKC”. It’s also worth contacting regular real estate agents in the city who handle rentals and find out if they have any leads.
Check Reddit’s Forum for Oklahoma City
Reddit has discussion forums called subreddits for everything under the sun, and most cities have a dedicated subreddit. For Oklahoma City, the subreddit is called r/okc and you can access it at this address https://www.reddit.com/r/okc/.
From the subreddit, you can search for felon-friendly apartments, second-chance apartments, and no-background check apartments, and see what discussions come up. You can also make an account and ask a question yourself to get some current recommendations.
Leads we’ve found for felon-friendly apartments in OKC include the Raindance Apartments on 122nd Street, Oklahoma City, and the Campus Pointe apartments at 1601 NW 30th Street, Oklahoma City.
Get Help From A Reentry Organization
A local reentry organization should be able to give you a list of landlords that will rent to felons. Reentry groups can also help you find employment opportunities.
In Oklahoma City, you can contact the following groups.
TEEM Reentry Services
1501 N. Classen Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
Phone: (405) 235-5671
Website: https://www.teem.org/reentry-services
Oklahoma Reentry Opportunity Center
400 S. May Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73108
Phone: (405) 232-8233
Catholic Charities
1232 North Classen Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK – 73106
Phone: (405) 523-3000
Goodwill Reentry Program
Website: https://okgoodwill.org/programs-and-employment/reentry-preparation-program/
Consider Looking For A House Share
If you’re single, a house share could be an option. Look on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for rooms to rent in OKC.
You’ll need to vet the listings to avoid scams (which are plentiful).
Ideally, you’ll find an owner-occupied home with a room for rent. If the house is a rental, the other tenant may still need to get approval from their landlord, and that could involve a background check.
You can also ask people you work with if they want to take in a boarder, or know of anyone who does.
See Also: Second-Chance Apartments for Felons in Dallas
Widen Your Search to Include Houses For Rent
Apartment complexes are usually managed by property management companies and they have rental policies with little to no flexibility.
Many houses have been scooped up by investment companies in recent years, which makes finding a house to rent more difficult than it used to be, but you can still find houses listed as “for rent by the owner”.
You’ll need to be ready for some legwork because many homeowners will still insist on running a background check. You just need to keep calling until you find one that doesn’t run a background check, or that will accept your circumstances.
An owner with a property to rent can be more flexible and if you can show that you’ve got a steady job and can cover the rent, that may be all they’re interested in. Offering a larger security deposit or agreeing to pay the rent in cash could tip things in your favor, too.
Look for houses to rent on Craigslist, Zillow, Facebook Marketplace, and Trulia. Watch out for scams, though, and don’t hand over money for an application fee unless you’ve taken a tour of the property.
One resource we like is Hotpads.com. On HotPads you can search for apartments, houses, and rooms in OKC.
Use the menu to sort by lowest price. Lower-priced rentals are often in less desirable neighborhoods and the landlords are more likely to show some flexibility (within reason).
You can also apply a filter to search for homes or rooms to rent by owner.
Find Out If Your Felony Can Be Expunged
In Oklahoma, if your felony is a non-violent offense, you may be able to get the conviction expunged. That means that when a landlord runs your background check, they won’t be able to see your conviction, and you’ll be on level ground again.
Look for an expungement attorney to work through the process with you. You’ll need to pay their fee unless you can find free legal help through a reentry group, but if you can get your offense wiped off your record, your life will be much easier going forward.
Summary
Felon-friendly apartments in OKC aren’t easy to find and your best option is to get some help from a reentry organization or a second-chance apartment finder.
Searching the classifieds on Craigslist and other rental sites is another option but be careful of scams.
If your felony can be expunged, then that’s a process you should follow through with because once your felony is off your record, you can apply for jobs and accommodation without your felony holding you back.
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