GUIDE
Domestic Violence Records and Apartment Screening
In a domestic violence case, the exact offense, the outcome and any court finding all matter. A pending allegation, a conviction and a family violence finding are not the same thing.
What this guide covers
- Why the court's own terms matter
- How we check the way a property defines the offense
- Why record clearing needs separate legal advice
Use the court's terms
Read the disposition and any finding before you sum up the case. If the report uses a broad category that doesn't match your documents, ask the screening company about it. Don't guess what the court found from a police report or a nickname for the case.
We check how the property defines it
We check if a property's policy names this offense or finding, and how it treats a conviction compared with a dismissed or pending case. Then we look at when the lookback starts and if individual review is available. No one has a reliable ranking of how every landlord weighs this kind of case.
Record clearing needs separate advice
Texas nondisclosure law has exclusions for family violence and certain listed offenses. Finishing a sentence or deferred adjudication doesn't by itself make you eligible, so a lawyer should read your actual record next to the Chapter 411 sections that apply.
For the law, see Texas Government Code Chapter 411, including Section 411.074. To find legal help, use Local Help. For the apartment search itself, our locating page explains how to start with your housing preferences. We don't ask you to tell us what happened in the case, and we don't send criminal background information to your favorite communities.
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 and Domestic Violence Records
We check how each community's policy names this offense or finding and if review is available. You don't have to share what happened.
See how we help with this record →Common Questions
Is a pending domestic violence case the same as a conviction?
No. A pending case hasn't been decided yet. Your disposition and any court finding show where the case actually stands.
Can a domestic violence case be sealed with nondisclosure?
Usually not if the case involved family violence. Texas nondisclosure law shuts out those cases and some other listed offenses. A lawyer can tell you if any part of your record is eligible.
Do I have to tell you what happened?
No. We don't ask for the story of the case, and we don't send criminal background information to the communities you pick.
Ready to Start Your Apartment Search?
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.
More renter help
Use renter checklists and budget tools · Browse the guide library