need a fast repsonse adding a boyfriend w/crimnal history to lease

[KK]

Need a quick response!!! Adding someone to my lease who has criminal history.

I live in Minnesota. I have been renting from my current landlord for 2 years now. I added my daughter and her boyfriend to my lease about a year ago and my landlord didn't say anything about it. My problem is now that my daughter and her boyfriend have moved out, I want my boyfriend to move in with me. He has been here for 3 weeks. My lease is expiring in June and the landlord brought me a lease extension. I put his name on it and now the landlord wants him to fill out an application. He has a criminal history (not violent or drug related...a burglary charge, that he spent the past 5 years in prison for) The landlord needs him to put down his past 3 years rental history and they want to do a criminal background check. Will they try to evict me if I have him fill this out? Why didn't they ask my daughter's boyfriend to do this when he moved in? I'm scared to tell them because he won't have anywhere to go. He has a full-time job and has straightened out his life. How can I handle this? Should I just tell my landlord, and risk losing my apartment? Please help me??

 

[dj1]

No he hasnt straightened out his life, NO the landlord will not want an ex con in his building....and YES you should avoid being evicted BY MOVING!

SO THIS IS WHAT YOU CHOOSE FOR A BOYFRIEND........

You will have to live in trailers,dumpy ghetto housing, and find landlords who wont ask questions.

THEN after 3 to 5 years will you be able to live in a decent place, because you will have a rental history, together, PLUS he will have a work history, and If he is a good boy, no more criminal charges.

So for the next 5 years ya gotta severely lower your living standards, or get RID OF THE BOYFRIEND!

Sorry, thats just life with an ex-con.



[Edited by dj1 on 03-18-2001 at 10:28 PM]

 

[dyuan]

It seems to me ( not totally familiar with MN law) that it may be illegal to ask for criminal history in a rental application. Just like you can not ask for race, nationality, gender etc. People can sue landlord for discrimination against certain types of people. Now, I know employment application asks for criminal history, but never heard of this for a rental application. You may want to check it out in your state with someone who is knowledgable about this.

 

[LL]

You don't have to know about MN law to answer this question.

Anti-discrimination laws forbid discrimination on the basis of race, religion, handicap, sex, family status, etc. These laws are for good reasons, namely to prevent such discrimination where these items are clearly NOT RELATED to someone's qualifications as a tenant.

Criminal history is very different. A landlord has a right to know about this history, because it is related to the person's qualification to be a good tenant, and to not cause other problems. In fact, a landlord could be held liable if his tenant committs a burglary in the building, and the landlord failed to get a criminal history when he allowed him in.

Usually, asking for a credit report will show a criminal record as part of the public record.

 

[LL]

KK,

Absolutely, tell your landlord the whole story and risk losing either your apartment or your boyfriend.

If you somehow fool your landlord into skipping the checks that he knows he needs to do, and you are later found out, what do you think that the landlord will do?

Plus, if your boyfriend isn't willing to fess up and admit what he has done and live with the consequences, then he hasn't really straightened himself out, has he?

And what kind of supportive girfriend would that make you, helping him to hide his past, rather than facing the truth and doing the right thing.

Tell your landlord everything, leave it to his choice about what he wants to do, and take the consequences and move if you must. If the landlord doesn't want such a person, he doesn't have to take him, and for good reasons, and trying to hide BF's past won't make that any better.

 

[uneek_5]

sorry about your problem

as a man with a record i know how hard it can be just to settle everything and try to get your life back in order. you are a very good woman for supporting and trying to help him get things together. one thing i will tell you is that maybe you should just remain the only one on the lease for now and possibly put him on at a later date. but for both of you i honestly wouldn't rock any boats, plus the one he is in is already hard enough to keep afloat. stay with him ( if he's a good man), all of us ex-cons are not the dregs of society just made mistakes. if you can you can have both your man and your apartment. [email protected] if any questions!!!!!!!

 

[dj1]

Uneek.....

You may not be the dregs of society.....but it will take at least 5 years for anyone to really think you have changed.

A work record, a credit history, no criminal involvements, after a period of time, most people will give you a second chance

But this guy has barely started on that road.

So my advice....DO NOT let him live there, let him get a furnished weekly rental somewhere else, IN HIS OWN NAME and build up his rental history.....

 

[KK]

I want to thank LL and uneek for their responses. You both have been very helpful!! As for dj1, if you don't have anything constructive to say, then why say anything at all? Don't you think I have taken into consideration the things you wrote, before I posted my question? I have been dealing with this for almost 13 years. You don't have enough information to be talking to me the way you have been. I know that when someone posts something like this it will be controversial and people like you will always try to play God and make judgements about others. I just feel that people write into these types of things because they genuinely need some GOOD advice, not harsh criticism. Thank you. By the way, LL and uneek, my boyfriend and I are setting up an appointment today to speak with my landlord, wish us luck?

 

[LL]

Good Luck.

Remember that you make your own luck. If the landlord just doesn't want to be involved in such circumstances, that's not bad luck. Thats just a need for you to adjust your circumstances and look for another place to live. There are plenty of apartments. Look for a place where you will be happy and so will the landlord.

 

[KK]

Thanks LL.
Well we did it.
We talked to the leasing agent.
She said, "We are going to act as if this conversation never took place." Then she turned around and talked to the property manager who in turn told the owner. Owner calls leasing agent and tells her to tell me "NO renewal of my lease." I have to leave May 31st. Boyfriend left that day he found out about my having to leave my apartment and went to find somewhere else to live. So, now what? Does owner have a leg to stand on? Can I be "evicted" because I know someone with a criminal history? He was only here for 2 weeks. I can't have visitors?
KK

 

[mary hartman]

well KK... I dont like ex cons living next door ME.

Its your choice ..now you have to move....its what you wanted anyway or else you would have found a boyfriend who has never been arrested!

Have fun living in dumpy ghetto housing.

 

[KK]

You know something dj or mary or whatever you want to call yourself?? Your a wonderful person to be so kind and compassionate!! Thanks so much for your responses on this thread, I do appreciate it. Do you have nothing better to do with your time? I see you have responded to many threads. There are real people with real feelings behind these questions. I'm not worried about where I'm going to live, why are you so mean?


[Edited by KK on 03-25-2001 at 01:18 PM]

 

[LL]

KK,

Unless there is something in your local law (MN or local), then yes, landlord can do it. It's his choice.

If he doesn't renew your lease and doesn't accept money after the termination of your lease, then he can evict you, and that's not really wrong. He has a right to decide who can live in his property, subject only to a few laws. He has to have that right.

Don't try to use tricks like pretending that your bf is only a visitor. Both of you need to face the problem directly. Go find a place where you can both be happy, and the landlord can be happy with you.

 

[mary hartman]

To KK;

What about OUR feelings , you are very selfish in wanting everyone to accept your ex-con boyfriend...well I dont!

That is life, maybe someone wont mind living next to a thief, and maybe someone will give him a chance, but i also have a right to say, get away from me the both of you.

thats being honest.

 

[KK]

Dj

I never asked you to accept him. I just asked for advice.