GUIDE
Probation or Parole: Who Must Review Your Apartment Move?
Probation and parole are different supervision systems, and both can affect a move. Either way, the apartment application and permission to live there are two separate decisions.
What this guide covers
- Who to contact for each kind of supervision
- Questions to ask either contact
- What we check with the apartment
Who to contact
Texas calls probation community supervision. If you're on it, start with your supervising officer and the community supervision and corrections department tied to your case. For parole, start with your parole officer or your assigned TDCJ contact. Use the contact in your own paperwork. Don't guess based on whichever office is nearby.
What to ask either contact
- What address changes need permission?
- Who can approve this move?
- What location or household restrictions apply?
- What documents do you need before a lease gets signed?
- What happens if the unit or move date changes?
What we check with the apartment
We check how the property's written criteria treat current supervision, what other requirements apply and if there's a review process. Probation doesn't automatically mean you're accepted. Parole doesn't automatically mean you're denied.
Keep two separate contact lists. Updates about the property go to the leasing office. Requests for address permission go to your officer. When we send a property a guest card for you, that has nothing to do with supervision permission.
Read probation residence questions or parole address preparation for the next step. We can help with the search, but we don't control either approval.
What to do next
- Find your officer's contact information in your own paperwork.
- Ask them what address changes need permission.
- Send us your search details. We check how each property treats current supervision.
- Keep property updates and supervision requests on separate lists.
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
Find Texas Apartments That Accept Renters on Probation
On probation? We help you look for apartments and check each community's written criteria against your record. Supervision permission stays with your officer.
See how our locating service works →Common Questions
What's the difference between probation and parole for renting?
In Texas, probation is called community supervision and runs through a local supervision department tied to your court case. Parole runs through TDCJ. Each has its own contacts and address rules.
Is it easier to rent on probation than on parole?
Not by default. Probation doesn't mean you're accepted, and parole doesn't mean you're denied. Each community decides by its own criteria.
Do both need officer approval for an address?
Often, but your conditions set the rule. Ask your own supervising contact before you sign a lease.
Know Where You Stand Before You Pay to Apply
Tell us what you need in your next home. We check each community's screening criteria against your record for free, so you can pick where to spend application fees.