applicant with felony record : ezLandlordForms

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Linda S

started a topic over 13 years ago

I have an applicant about 29 or 30 who has a felony record for sexual misconduct w/minor. It was when he was 21 and his girl friend was 16. He is not a child molestor and has a good job. Do I have any obligation to other tenants if I decide to rent to him.

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Ralph F

said over 13 years ago

When I was 20 I dated a 17 year old. People in their mid-late teens have relationships and sometimes even (gasp) $ex. It happens.

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Eric D

said over 13 years ago

In keeping with the site, Landlords, and not the morality of what happened when he was younger... I do not believe states have a policy that you must tell the tenants. However, if a tenant finds out that you brought someone in with the history (primarily when they have children themselves) you could find yourself with a backlash if you haven't talked to them before hand. I have seen this before, the landlords wanted to tell the two other tenants of the situation to get a feel for how they felt about it. One had two young kids the other tenant had none but was a single young lady. They met the guy and didn't have a problem so they allowed them in. Make sure you really do your background checks and everything is good. The reason why the sex offender was looking to move was because the tenants were supposedly taking things into their own hands and making the situation hard to live for the sex offender. After the move in, reasons above and beyond the sex offender title became apparent as to why other tenants didn't want him there (and no, he wasn't continuing the sexual misconduct).

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L S

said about 13 years ago

I believe awareness of criminal History, insofar as sex offenses should be a consideration before renting to a tenant with Felony Sex offenses as there are potential liability and safety issues where minors in the immediate area are concerned. Not to say all sex offenses deal with minors but caution in cases like that is a must.