GUIDE
After Nondisclosure: Checking Your Apartment Screening
A nondisclosure order limits who can see an eligible case. It doesn't destroy the record the way expunction does. Check what the order covers before you guess how it affects screening or how to answer an application.
What this guide covers
- How to tell which case your order covers
- What to do if a screening report still shows it
- How to handle an application question about the case
Know which case is covered
Keep the signed order with the case number, court and date. If you have several cases, note which one the order covers. Some agencies can still legally see nondisclosed information. So “nobody can ever see it” isn't accurate.
If a screening report shows it
Save the report and compare the entry with the order. The company may be using old data. You don't need to figure out their system to raise a problem you can document. Use the company's consumer dispute process, point to the entry and send the order through a secure channel.
If an application asks about the case
Read the exact question and ask a lawyer how the order affects your answer. Questions about arrests, convictions or deferred cases aren't the same question. We can't tell you what the law requires you to disclose.
Keep a record of any correction, and we'll check how each apartment handles a second look. A corrected report doesn't get you out of income, credit or rental history requirements.
Primary source: Texas Government Code Chapter 411. Related reading: preparing for a nondisclosure consultation and background report dispute steps. We don't need a copy of your court order to start your search.
Published by the Felon Friendly Apartment Team. This is general renter information. Each property makes its own decisions, and questions about your own case belong with a lawyer or legal aid.
RELATED SERVICE
Apartments With a Nondisclosure Order
We check each community's criteria against your record as it stands today. Any report fix goes through the screening company.
See how we help with this record →Common Questions
Does a nondisclosure order erase my record?
No. It limits who can see an eligible case. Expunction is the order that removes records. Some agencies can still legally see nondisclosed information.
What if a screening report still shows the case?
The company may be working from old data. Dispute the entry through its consumer process and include a copy of your order.
Do you need a copy of my order to start a search?
No. We start with your housing preferences and the basic facts of your record. Keep the order for the screening company or a lawyer.
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Our help is free to renters. Participating communities may pay our brokerage a referral fee. Tell us what you need, and we'll check each community's criteria against your record.
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