If you’ve been looking for felony friendly apartments in Indianapolis or searching for housing for felons in Indiana, you should know that many landlords won’t rent to convicted felons.
Finding felony-friendly apartments is often a struggle because property managers routinely run background checks on rental applicants. But there are steps you can take to increase your chances of success.
Applying for apartments listed on rental sites like Apartments.com and Rent.com often leads to rejection, as many of these rentals are in large complexes managed by property management companies. These companies typically have strict acceptance policies, and once they conduct your rental background check, they may screen you out due to your felony.
To improve your chances of finding felon-friendly apartments in Indianapolis, focus your search on smaller apartment complexes and independent landlords who advertise on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
Another effective option is using an apartment finder service, which specializes in locating second-chance housing in Indianapolis. These local experts have extensive knowledge of the rental market and access to lists of second-chance apartments you can apply to.
If you’ve recently been released from prison, your parole officer, transitional housing provider, or reentry service can also assist you in finding an affordable second-chance apartment.
Many of the apartments listed for rent on Craigslist are owned by independent landlords or managed by leasing agents with more flexible acceptance criteria.
To see the latest Craigslist Indianapolis rental listings, visit the housing section on Craigslist Indianapolis and select “apts / housing.”
Craigslist will show you second-chance apartments in Indianapolis available for rent. Don’t limit your search to apartments; houses can be just as affordable. Filter the results by price range, and select your preferred zip code, number of bedrooms, and amenities.
Craigslist only provides basic information on rentals, and you won’t see “felons welcome to apply” on any of the listings. However, finding felon-friendly housing is a numbers game—the more landlords you contact, the sooner you’ll find a place to live.
Some listings will state “no credit check.” This can mean the landlord doesn’t run any background checks, which is ideal for you, or it may mean they only check for convictions and evictions.
Use the messaging system to inquire about any rental that matches your needs. To save time, prepare a standard inquiry to copy and paste into each message. Ask for their rental acceptance criteria and the full cost to move in (security deposit, first month’s rent, application fee).
If their response mentions a background check, send a follow-up inquiry asking if they’re willing to consider your background, and provide brief details about your conviction.
Check Craigslist’s Indianapolis apartment listings at least twice a day to catch new rentals as soon as they’re posted. Be cautious of scammers—never send an application fee until you’ve viewed the property, and don’t pay rent or a security deposit until you’ve signed the lease.
If you’ve already got a Facebook account, open up the app and select Marketplace from the menu. Go to the housing section to see the apartment rentals in Indianapolis.
Use the price, location, and other filters to narrow down the results.
Then send inquiries to landlords following the same approach outlined above for Craigslist.
Don’t take rejections personally, just move on to the next apartment rental on your list.
Using a second-chance apartment locator is often the fastest way to find second-chance housing in Indianapolis.
These apartment finders specialize in matching renters with background issues and poor credit to landlords who are willing to overlook their history.
Apartment finders usually run a background check to match you with the appropriate landlords.
Second-chance landlords have varying acceptance criteria. Some may rent to tenants with misdemeanors but not felonies, while others might accept non-violent felons or felonies that are older than five years, for example.
To find these services, search for “second chance apartment finders Indianapolis” on Google and review the results.
If your felony is more than seven years old, you can directly apply for rentals on secondchanceapartmentfinders.org.
These apartment finders also advertise on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
Given the high demand for second-chance apartments, contact multiple apartment finders to increase your chances of finding a suitable place.
Reentry programs for felons offer help and support to recently released felons. They know that stable housing and employment are essential for successful reentry.
When you work with a reentry program in Indianapolis, their coaches and case managers will help you apply for apartments within their network of housing providers and identify other rental opportunities.
Reentry advisors will also guide you through the process of applying for the low-income housing programs in Indianapolis provided by the Indiana Housing Authority.
The local housing authority is responsible for managing the Public Housing Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). Both programs have waiting lists, so apply as soon as possible.
Your reentry counselor will help you apply for any other assistance you’re entitled to receive, including food stamps and health care.
To find out about reentry housing options in Indianapolis, visit PACE – Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry – at https://paceindy.org/. Fill out the contact form on the website and a counselor will reach out to you soon.
While landlords can use your criminal background as a reason to reject your rental application, they cannot arbitrarily discriminate against you.
Any landlord with a blanket no-felons policy is violating the law. Criminal backgrounds should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis against their tenant acceptance policy. Rejections should be based on a legitimate risk to the safety of other residents, the landlord, or the property.
When a landlord reviews your background report, they should consider the nature and age of your felony, as well as the efforts you’ve made to rehabilitate yourself.
To help landlords evaluate your application fairly, provide employment and character references.
Final Thoughts
Finding apartments in Indianapolis that rent to felons, or in any major city, requires a methodical approach and perseverance. Don’t let a few rejections discourage you.
There are thousands of landlords in Indianapolis, and some are felony-friendly landlords, even if they don’t advertise it.
Check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace twice a day and send inquiries for every suitable apartment in your price range. This process should only take about 30 minutes if you use a prepared message to copy and paste.
Contact second-chance apartment finders and apply to landlords on their lists.
Work with a reentry service to find second-chance apartments in Indianapolis and to apply for affordable housing programs.
While landlords can use your criminal background as a reason to reject your rental application, they cannot arbitrarily discriminate against you.
Any landlord with a blanket no-felons policy is violating the law. Criminal backgrounds should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis against their tenant acceptance policy. Rejections should be based on a legitimate risk to the safety of other residents, the landlord, or the property.
When a landlord reviews your background report, they should consider the nature and age of your felony, as well as the efforts you’ve made to rehabilitate yourself.
To help landlords evaluate your application fairly, provide employment and character references.
Final Thoughts
Finding apartments in Indianapolis that rent to felons, or in any major city, requires a methodical approach and perseverance. Don’t let a few rejections discourage you.
There are thousands of landlords in Indianapolis, and some are felony-friendly landlords, even if they don’t advertise it.
Check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace twice a day and send inquiries for every suitable apartment in your price range. This process should only take about 30 minutes if you use a prepared message to copy and paste.
Contact second-chance apartment finders and apply to landlords on their lists.
Work with a reentry service to find second-chance apartments in Indianapolis and to apply for affordable housing programs.
Disclamer: Nothing on this website should be construed as providing legal advice or creating an attorney-client relationship. Results may vary depending on the specific facts, circumstances, and legal issues involved in each individual case. All cases require a thorough review of the applicable law and facts before reaching a conclusion.