By Blackbird Realty
LAS VEGAS, NV. – If you’re still managing your Las Vegas Rental Property yourself you may think that you can ban tenants who have criminal histories. The reality is that thanks to the Fair Housing Act, landlords cannot ban anyone who has a criminal history because that’s classified as discrimination.
People with criminal records aren't a protected class under the Fair Housing Act, and the guidance from HUD's general counsel says that in some cases, turning down an individual tenant because of his or her record can be legally justified.
But blanket policies of refusing to rent to anybody with a criminal record are de facto discrimination, the department says — because of the systemic disparities of the American criminal justice system.
Source - npr.og
All Criminal Records Are Not Created Equal
Although it may be easy for some landlords to blanket ban tenants with criminal histories, the reality is that not all criminal records are created equal.
Many people over the last 30 years have had minor convictions or drug charges and in today’s world, those convictions may not mean much especially if they happened years ago when the applicant was much younger.
The key to success when considering a tenant with a criminal record is to ask them about the nature of their crime and when it was convicted. You may find that they’ve already served their time in prison and “paid for” a crime many times over so it’s best to learn more about their record before making your decision on them.
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