Should I rent to a tenant who is a convicted felon?

[Melissa Faraias]

Hello BP community,

I am relatively new to RE investing and my second rental is currently on the market. A couple in their late 50's want to rent the unit since their relatives live across the street. The woman mentioned that she was convicted for aggravated robbery 24 years ago and served 20 1/2 years in prison. She now has a stable job with the city and offered to pay double the security deposit if I would consider their application. The rental has been on the market for a week and I have mostly section 8 tenants interested (which I have decided not to consider at the present time). Would you consider the couple or wait for a few more weeks to see if the applicant pool picks up?  Their credit score is also slight less than the minimum credit score required to qualify so I can reject them based on those grounds. Thank you for your input.