Housing For Felons In Tennessee

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Finding stable and affordable housing for felons in Tennessee is challenging. With 15,000 felons released from Tennessee prisons each year, demand for felon friendly housing is high across the state.

Use the information below to locate apartments that rent to felons in Tennessee.

Housing For Felons In Tennessee 2024

Tennessee

Apartments in Tennessee is provided by private landlords, reentry organizations, charities, and the local housing authority.

Recently released felons, and felons on parole or probation, can get a housing list from their parole officer, or use the housing services provided by reentry organizations.

To find reentry support, call the United Way helpline on 2-1-1, or check the list of reentry resources in Tennessee at the Probation Information Network.

Website: https://www.probationinfo.org/reentry-resources/tennessee/

Project Return

Project Return is a reentry organization focused on employment services for returning citizens released within the last 12 months.

They also provide housing for felons Nashville TN through their PRO Housing program. Project Return purchases and renovates homes which they rent to felons.

Contact Project Return to find out about available rentals, and for recommendations on other felon friendly housing in the Nashville area.

If an older felony is causing you problems in your housing search, you can still give reentry providers a call to ask for leads on felon friendly landlords in Tennessee.

Finding Felony Friendly Apartments In Nashville TN

Using an apartment finder is the quickest way to find felony friendly apartments in Nashville TN. Otherwise, we recommend focusing your search on rentals owned by independent landlords.

Nashville Apartment Locators

Apartment locators use their extensive knowledge of the local rental market to match you with suitable landlords for your budget and criminal background.

Find apartment locators through an online search, or by looking on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Some apartment finders specialize in second chance rentals providing housing for felons Nashville TN.

Use an apartment finder who doesn’t charge a fee. These agents receive a finder’s fee from the owner when they introduce a new tenant. You’ll only need to cover the background check fee.

Nashville Apartment Locators is a free apartment locator service in Nashville.

  • Website: https://www.findyournashvilleapartment.com/
  • Call: (615) 606-APTS (Ask for Andres)

Apply To Independent Landlords

Instead of applying for apartments in large complexes, focus your search on small apartment buildings, single-family homes, duplexes, sublets, and room shares advertised by independent landlords.

Small-time landlords don’t have to stick to a rigid company leasing policy, so they have the flexibility to take your circumstances into consideration.

Often (not always) landlords won’t care about a background check as long as you can afford the rent.

The best online resources for finding felony friendly private landlords are Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Zillow. If you’re in the market for a sublet or room share, check:

  • Roomster.com
  • Roomies.com
  • Padlist.com
  • Hotpads.com

Tennessee Rental Listings On Craigslist And Facebook

Find your local Tennessee rental listings by going to https://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/TN. Choose your city, then look under the housing section.

To find rentals on Facebook, sign in to your Facebook app and select Marketplace from the menu.

Listings won’t specify they’re felon friendly. You’ll need to contact all the rentals in your price range. Always ask what the application process involves. If there’s a background check, be upfront about your felony and ask if your eligible.

Search Zillow For Felony Friendly Apartments In Nashville TN

Zillow carries a wide range of rental listings and you can take advantage of their 30 day background check for renters.

You pay a $35 background check fee, which lets you apply to an unlimited number of participating rentals on Zillow in the next 30 days.

Search Zillow rentals at https://www.zillow.com/nashville-tn/rentals/

Tip – Don’t limit yourself to scouring the web for felony friendly rentals. Visit Nashville neighborhoods and look for rental signs displayed outside properties.

The neighborhoods most likely to be a source of felon friendly apartments in Nashville are Lavergne, Madison, Buena Vista Heights, and Murfreesboro.

Northfield Lodge Apartments – Some Felonies Accepted

Northfield Lodge offers felony friendly apartments in Nashville TN.

Their tenant acceptance criteria states they won’t accept sex offenders with a lifetime registration.

For other felony offenses, a felony over 10 years old, won’t count against you. If the felony is less than 10 years old and is for drugs, violence, arson, fraud, theft, or alcohol abuse, your application will be declined.

Gazebo Apartments – Some Felonies Accepted

The Gazebo apartments and townhomes are located minutes from downtown Nashville.

They operate a fair background check process with an individualized assessment which considers the seriousness of the crime, its recency, number of convictions on record, and history since conviction.

If your criminal background report suggests you could pose a threat to the community, you’ll be rejected.

Problematic offenses include sexual offenses, homicide, kidnapping, violence against a person, arson, and selling or manufacturing of drugs.

Gazebo Apartments is one of 23 apartment communities operated by the Freeman Webb Company in and around Nashville TN.

Use the link on their website to explore their other apartments, which may be a better fit for your needs.

Search For Low Income Felon Friendly Apartments In Tennessee

Low Income Felon Friendly Apartments In Tennessee

If you’re on a low income, you could qualify for low income housing.

Low income housing providers tend to have fair background check policies. If they receive funding via the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) they’re required to follow HUD’s tenant screening guidance.

This guidance cautions against using blanket bans to disqualify renters with felony records. Your chances of being approved for an apartment will depend on the type of felony on your record and its age.

Search for low income housing communities in Tennessee on the following websites.

Urban Housing Solutions

Urban Housing Solutions offer renters affordable, safe housing in their Nashville properties. You’ll need to pass a background check, but they accept renters with criminal records, so don’t let the background check put you off.

The search function on this site lets you filter for felon friendly housing.

Enter your location in the search bar, then select your filters. Check the boxes for “offender reentry” and “criminal justice background friendly”. Click on each listing for more information and the landlord’s contact details.

Affordable Housing Online

This website lets you search low income rentals in Tennessee by city or county. Each listing contains a brief description, the income limits for the rental, and the contact details for the landlord.

Website: https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-search/Tennessee

Apply To The Tennessee Housing Authority

The Tennessee Housing Authority provides public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Rental Vouchers for low-income households. These programs have waiting lists which may be closed.

Go to https://affordablehousingonline.com/public-housing-waiting-lists/Tennessee to view the waiting list status for each local housing authority in Tennessee.

If you expect to need low income support, contact your housing authority as soon as possible to get on the list.

Felons are eligible for government funded housing support, but you’ll need to pass a background check.

When you receive public assistance for housing, the amount you have to contribute to your rent is capped at 30% of your income.

Next Steps

Contact reentry organizations about Tennessee felon friendly apartments if you’re trying to get back on your feet after incarceration.

Get in touch with a no fee apartment locator. They may be able to connect you with a suitable landlord and get you situated in a new home quickly.

Search for independent landlords and low income housing using the resources listed above.