Why is my Underage Drinking Affecting My Ability to rent a Apartment?

Question

I got an underage drinking when I was 19 years old. Now, I'm 22 and just graduated college. I'm trying to rent an apartment in Philadelphia (I'm in Pittsburgh now) but everywhere I try uses some thing called Saferent. It says I have a criminal record, but I got my underage three years ago and took ARD classes for it. Doesn't this seem a bit excessive? Is there any course of action I can take?

Answer 1

They’re doing background checks, and not discriminating between one kind of criminal record and another. Personally this does seem like overkill, but sometimes it’s safer to draw a firm line that a criminal record is a criminal record than to judge case by case assess if a crime is “bad” enough to warrant denial. That kind of behavior can lead to lawsuits with all of the laws surrounding fair housing.

Whatever you did as a result of your arrest likely didn’t remove that arrest from your record.  Perhaps next time you’re denied explain the situation and ask if there’s a way around it – a higher deposit, a co-signer, something.

Answer 2

That is one of the side effects of getting caught doing things you're not supposed to do.

Yes, it's a bit excessive.  But "Saferent" is there to help landlords weed out a prospective tennant that may be a problem.  They see "underage drinking" and they think "loud parties" and "upset neighbors".  When tennants are easy to find, a person with your credentials is simply not worth the risk.

You were only 16?  See if you can get your record sealed.  Or, maybe move across the river to New Jersey.

Answer 3

You  "might' be able to have an attorney get it taken off of the Saferent ....

OR; instead of going into a complex ; why not rent from an individual who has like a duplex and rents the apartments out ?

MOST individual landlords do NOT check for criminal records and IF they did ; probably would not let a drinking charge from three years ago get in the way ....

Answer 4

It depends on the complex.  Some only deny tenants that have violent, alcohol, s*x based or drug offenses.  It falls under the fair housing act that in a complex all tenants should have the assumption of safety.  It also depends if it is a misdemeanor or a felony.  Felony convictions usually bar most people from good apartments

Answer 5

First be upfront with the arrest when meeting the landlord. This gives you an opportunity to explain in detail that it was a teenage prank gone wrong.  Also ask if your parents cosign would that help.   Good Luck, your parents always told you some behaviors would come back and bite you in the rear.

Answer 6

d**n 19 aint underage drinking..move to another state or country

Answer 7

look up your state laws. if you dont have any open cases then get your criminal record sealed and you shouldnt have this problem anymore.

Answer 8

move to mexico