You need to find apartments that accept evictions in Houston TX, but you don’t know where to look. Or maybe you’ve already looked for apartments in Houston that take evictions and you’ve been turned down repeatedly after paying many rental application fees.
Well, don’t despair, we’re going to point you in the right direction. Searching for apartments when you can’t pass a rental background check because of an eviction can be frustrating and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you know where to look.
How To Find Apartments That Accept Evictions In Houston TX 2024
When you look at apartment rental listing sites or visit apartment websites, you either see a notice saying “no evictions”, or you don’t see any information at all about the eligibility criteria used to assess rental applications.
This leaves you with two options.
You can go through the lengthy process of contacting every landlord or property manager with a rental listing in your price range, or you can use the services of an apartment locator or real estate agent to help you find apartments in Houston that take evictions.
It’s pretty clear that using the services of a professional is the better option.
Using A Second Chance Apartment Locator to Find Apartments In Houston That Take Evictions
Second-chance apartment locators specialize in finding apartments for renters who can’t pass a standard rental background check. They help renters with bad credit, broken leases, criminal backgrounds, and evictions find a new apartment.
When you’ve got an eviction, it’s particularly hard to find a landlord willing to take a chance on you, and that’s why it makes sense to work with a second-chance apartment locator.
With extensive knowledge of second-chance apartments in the city, an apartment locator will be able to give you a list of apartments in Houston that take evictions, saving you hours (or weeks) of fruitless searching.
They’ve helped people find apartments that accept evictions in Houston, TX, in the past, and they’ll be able to help you too.
How Do You Find Second Chance Apartment Locators In Houston?
Because Houston is a big city, there’s no shortage of apartment locators waiting to help you find your next apartment.
Use Google or another search engine to search using the following terms: “second chance apartment locator Houston”.
Then go through the results and compare the services offered. Make sure the service you choose specifically mentions evictions because some only work with low credit scores.
Some second-chance apartment locators in Houston offer their services at no cost to renters because they get paid a finder’s fee by the apartment owner when you sign a lease.
These are the safest apartment locators to work with, and they’ll know about the nicer apartment communities in Houston that take evictions.
Contact these no-fee apartment locators to get started:
- Second Chance Apartments – website: https://secondchanceapartments.com/
- Second Chance Apartment – website: https://www.2ndchanceapartment.com/
- SCA Locators – website: https://secondchancelease.com/
However, free-to-use second-chance apartment locators won’t have the widest pool of apartments on their books, and if you’ve got other red flags besides your eviction that come up on your rental background check, they may not be able to find an apartment for you.
In that case, you’ll need to start looking at paid services. Always run through a few safety checks before you choose a second-chance apartment locator who requires payment.
- Check their real estate license on the ARELLO database. Apartment locators should be licensed real estate agents, so go to the license verification website at https://www.arello.com/, and enter their name to make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate service provider.
- Check on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau to see if you can find any reviews.
- Don’t pay a security deposit or any advance rent to the apartment locator. These funds should be paid to the landlord when you sign the lease.
- Be suspicious of any apartment locator who only wants to communicate by text message.
Read Also: Apartments In Houston That Accept Broken Lease
Work Directly With Real Estate Agents To Find Apartments In Houston TX That Accept Evictions
Most people think that real estate agents only deal with property sales, but in fact, many realtors handle rental property as well. When you work with a realtor, they’ll find suitable apartments, and contact landlords and property managers on your behalf.
Realtors will tell you that you’ll have a better chance of finding a landlord willing to accept an eviction if you broaden your search criteria to include houses as well as apartments.
That’s because landlords with houses for rent are often private individuals rather than large companies, and private landlords tend to be more flexible.
There’s an easy way to find realtors in Houston. Just go to The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) and post your request in their Ask A Pro section.
Briefly detail your situation and ask for help finding apartments in Houston that take evictions.
You’ll receive replies from real estate agents offering to help you, and then all you need to do is contact the realtors using the phone number or email that they give you.
Improve Your Chances Of Finding Second Chance Houston TX Apartments That Accept Evictions
You’ve already got an eviction that’s going to show up when a landlord or property manager runs a background check on you as part of the rental application process.
An eviction is a huge red flag to landlords because you’ve already allowed a previous rental problem to escalate to an eviction. Landlords don’t like dealing with evictions; they cost time and money, and no decent person enjoys evicting a tenant who can’t pay their rent.
Because you’ve got an eviction on your rental record, you should do as much as you can to prove you’ll be a reliable tenant. And even if you plan to use a second chance apartment finder, they’ll have a wider choice of apartments to offer you if you follow the steps listed below.
Prepare A Statement Explaining Why You Were Evicted
If the eviction was because of unforeseen events that left you unable to pay your rent or catch up on missed payments, then it’s important to make that clear. Be honest because the apartment manager can easily contact your previous landlord to get their side of the story.
Choose Apartments That Are Well Within Your Price Range
Landlords expect tenants to have an income that’s at least 3 times the rental amount. So look for apartments where your income comfortably covers the rent multiplier.
Clean Up Your Credit Report
Get a free copy of your credit report from each credit reporting bureau: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Check your report to see if you’ve got issues you can fix.
Find A Cosigner Or Guarantor
Having a cosigner or guarantor can make a landlord more willing to accept your rental application despite your previous eviction. This is because they will have someone else to request payment from if you don’t pay your rent on time.
Offer A Larger Security Deposit
Apartments in Houston, TX, that accept evictions may ask for a larger security deposit, and sometimes part of the security deposit will be non-refundable. You could also be asked for an extra month’s rent in advance.
These higher move-in costs are unfortunate, but offsetting the landlord’s risk with a larger upfront payment may be the only way to get approved for an apartment.
Wrapping Up
Using a second-chance apartment locator or real estate agent is the best way to find apartments in Houston that accept evictions.
These professionals will know which apartments are most likely to accept your application, and they won’t waste your time by sending you to unsuitable apartment communities.
Robert Eric (a lover of Cats and Dogs) is the co-founder of HireFelonsJobs. In our search for a better life, after… A platform was created for the purpose of easing the search for ex-convicts.