Renting with a misdemeanor...*help*

[Ricky Gutierrez]

First off thank you for taking a second to read this post, any experience and knowledge provided is very helpful.

I'll start off, the beginning of this year I made the stupid choice of drinking and driving, I was blackout drunk, phone was dead and instead of finding another way home I somehow got into my vehicle, long story short I got a DUI but am in the process of having it removed through a pretrial diversion program.

I am not a heavy drinker, after that episode I definitely don't enjoy drinking anymore and very rarely drink, it was a stupid mistake and I never cause trouble... with that being said I now realize certain aspects of my life have become more difficult for simple things.

I've been told by property managers that it may be an issue to apply for a background check through them, and then through HOA.

I am a 23 year old male with 2 jobs, I'm always at work, make 50k+ a year, don't have the best credit score but no actual negative remarks, just a high utility rate I've felt no rush to pay off.

Another thing is I dislike living in an apartment, I've only had bad experiences but not with a house or apartment.

I've only had my name on 1 lease with no issue.

Now the questions, with all these factors weighing in are...

Are most property manager and HOA very strict with a DUI even if it doesn't say I've been charged? (But it still shows)

Would it just be better at this point to hire a rental realtor or would even they be hesitant because of the difficulty?

If an apartment is my last choice so be it, time to find some thick plywood walls Lol!

It's a lot to read so if you read it and could offer your own advice I very much do appreciate it, have a wonderful day y'all. 

[Michele Fischer]

I'd probably look for a private landlord who looks at the entire picture rather than strict set criteria.  And continue applying with property management companies, most they can do is deny you.

I'd suggest writing up a simple one page cover letter about your story and what you've learned to hand in with the applications.  You don't need to verbally tell your story, do it in writing, make a case why you are still a good tenant.  And you can point out that it is not technically a conviction; that is a consideration for fair housing laws.

In my screening process, you do not have two or more criminal incidents, you are not a level 1 sex offender, and you are declaring rather than trying to hide the issue, so no lost points there.  It also is not a crime that would increase my risk as a landlord, other than you possibly getting stuck in jail and not being able to work/pay rent; it is not damage to property or violence to another person.  You would lose some points in my screening process for the incident being less than a year old, but if you are otherwise a strong applicant I would still rent to you.  And if you are having trouble finding housing that is a positive for me because you may stay in my property longer.

Other considerations: prefer non-smoker, how long you have lived in the area (deeper roots/ties to an area are a positive), income compared to rent, how long you have held current job, how stable your overall job history is (changing jobs yearly is not a great trend), how long you have lived at previous addresses (frequent moving/turnover costs landlords money), what Facebook profile says about you (pets, drama, responsible, crazy), what prior landlords say about you, etc.

It's a shame that some lessons in life are so painful, but hopefully it ultimately leads to you being stronger and better for it.