Real estate agents: negotiating a background check?

[Tyler O'Malley]

Hello all, I have an agent friend who has a friend who has a client who has a clean record, however they were arrested with 2 pounds of marijuana in their car. He has a felony for this: I am just wondering first, what are the criterion for background checks? Do they only check for violent/sexual crime and threats to other tenant, or is a marijuana felony usually enough to keep a tenant from renting a place to live? He is a really really good guy and I hope I don't have to tell him he can't get a place he worked hard for because of his mistake. MOST IMPORTANTLY: has anyone ever negotiated such a situation? I was thinking perhaps offer the full asking price with 3-6 months rent in advance. Obviously I am just brainstorming in this entire message, and plan on being 100 percent transparent with the owner, but I feel in this day and age a weed arrest when he was 22 years old sounds like something a landlord might be willing to live with, assuming it is the landlords decision legally. Anyone who can help, much appreciated! Just taking a shot in the dark for some advice besides "just talk to the landlord".