Housing For Felons In Tennessee
Finding stable and affordable housing for felons in Tennessee is a difficult task. With 15,000 offenders released from Tennessee prisons each year, the demand for offender-friendly housing across the state is high. Use the information below to locate apartments in Tennessee that rent to felons.
Housing For Felons In Tennessee 2024
Apartments in Tennessee are provided by private landlords, re-entry organizations, charities, and local housing authorities. Recently released offenders, and offenders on parole or probation, can obtain housing listings from their parole officer, or use housing services provided by reentry organizations. To get help with reentry, call the United Way Helpline at 2-1-1, or see a list of Tennessee reentry resources on the Probation Information Network.
Website: https://www.probationinfo.org/reentry-resources/tennessee/
Project Return
Project Return is a re-entry organization that focuses on employment services for returning citizens released within the last 12 months.
They also provide housing for Nashville TN felons through their PRO Housing Program. Project Return buys and renovates homes they rent out to criminals. Contact Project Return to learn about available rentals, and for recommendations on other offender-friendly housing in the Nashville area.
Website: https://projectreturninc.org/pro-housing/
Call: 615-327-9654
Email: pri@projectreturninc.org
If a past felony is causing you problems finding housing, you can still call re-entry providers to ask for leads on criminal-friendly landlords in Tennessee.
Finding Felony Friendly Apartments In Nashville TN
Using Apartment Finder is the fastest way to find pet-friendly apartments in Nashville TN. Otherwise, we recommend that you focus your search on independent landlord-owned rentals. Nashville Apartment Locator Apartment locators use their extensive knowledge of the local rental market to match you with landlords suitable for your budget and criminal background.
Find an apartment locator by searching online, or by searching on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Some apartment finders specialize in second-chance rentals that provide housing for felons in Nashville TN. Use an apartment finder that doesn’t charge fees. These agents charge the landlord a finder’s fee when they introduce a new tenant. You 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 for independent homeowners.
Instead of applying for apartments in large complexes, focus your search on smaller apartment buildings, single-family homes, duplexes, sublets, and room shares advertised by independent landlords. Small-time owners don’t have to stick to a company’s strict leasing policy, so they have the flexibility to accommodate your circumstances. Often (not always) landlords won’t bother with a background check unless you can afford the rent.
The best online resources for finding criminal-friendly private landlords are Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Zillow. If you are in the market for a sublet or room share, check out:
- roomster.com
- Rooms.com
- paylist.com
- Hotpads.com
Tennessee rental listings on Craigslist and Facebook
Find your local Tennessee rental listing by visiting https://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/TN. Choose your city, then look under the housing section. To search for rentals on Facebook, sign in to your Facebook app and select Marketplace from the menu. The lists do not specify that they are criminal. You must contact all tenants in your price range. Always ask what is involved in the application process. If there is a background check, be upfront about your crime and ask if you qualify.
Search Zillow for fine friendly apartments in Nashville TN. Zillow has a wide range of rental listings and you can take advantage of their 30-day background checks for renters. You pay a $35 background check fee, which allows you to apply for an unlimited number of participating rentals on Zillow over the next 30 days.
Find Zillow rentals at https://www.zillow.com/nashville-tn/rentals/
Tip – Don’t limit yourself to scouring the web for penalty-friendly rentals. Tour Nashville neighborhoods and look for rental signs displayed outside properties. The neighborhoods in Nashville most likely to be a source of fly-friendly apartments are Lavergne, Madison, Buena Vista Heights, and Murfreesboro.
Northfield Lodge Apartments – Some Felonies Accepted
Northfield Lodge offers crime-friendly apartments in Nashville, TN. Their tenant acceptance criteria state that they will not accept sex offenders with lifetime registration.
For other felonies, a conviction older than 10 years will not count against you. If the offense is less than 10 years old and is for drugs, violence, arson, fraud, theft, or alcohol, your application will be denied.
Website: https://www.northfieldlodgeapts.com/
Address: 603 E Northfield Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37130, United States.
Gazebo Apartments – Some Felonies Accepted
Gazebo Apartments and Townhomes are located just minutes from downtown Nashville. They conduct a fair background check process with an individualized assessment that considers the seriousness of the offense, its recency, the number of convictions on record, and post-conviction history.
If your criminal background report shows that you could be a danger to the community, you will be denied. Serious crimes include sex crimes, murder, kidnapping, violence against a person, arson, and selling or manufacturing drugs.
Website: https://www.gazeboapts.com/
Address: Gazebo Apartments, 141 Neese Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
Gazebo Apartments is one of 23 apartment communities operated by Freeman Webb Company in and around Nashville TN. Use the link on their website to explore their other apartments, which may suit your needs.
Search For Low-Income Felon Friendly Apartments In Tennessee
If you are low-income, you may qualify for low-income housing. Low-income housing providers have fair background check policies. If they receive funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), they must follow HUD’s tenant screening guidance.
This guide cautions against using a blanket ban to disqualify tenants with criminal records. Your chances of being approved for an apartment will depend on the type of crime you have on your record and the age of the offense. Find low-income housing communities in Tennessee at the following websites.
Urban Housing Solutions offers renters affordable, secure housing in their Nashville properties. You will need to pass a background check, but they do accept tenants with criminal records, so don’t let the background check put you off.
- Website: https://www.urbanhousingsolutions.org/our-properties/
- Recovery within reach
The search function on this site lets you filter for crime-friendly accommodation. Enter your location in the search bar, then choose your filters. Check the boxes for “criminal reentry” and “criminal justice background friendly.” Click on each listing for more information and landlord contact details.
Affordable Accommodation Online This website lets you search for low-income rentals in Tennessee by city or county. Each listing includes a brief description, income range for the rental, and 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 to low-income households. These programs have waiting lists that may close.
To view the waiting list status for each local housing authority in Tennessee, visit https://affordablehousingonline.com/public-housing-waiting-lists/Tennessee
If you expect to need low-income assistance, contact your housing authority as soon as possible to get on the list. Felons are eligible for government-funded housing support, but you will need to pass a background check. When you receive public housing assistance, the amount you have to pay in rent is limited to 30% of your income.
Next Steps
- If you are trying to get back on your feet after incarceration, contact reentry organizations about Tennessee felon-friendly apartments.
- Get in touch with a free apartment locator. They may be able to connect you with a suitable landlord and get you settled into a new home quickly.
- Find independent landlords and low-income housing using the resources above.
