Apartments That Accept Evictions: Texas Renter Guide

Last reviewed October 22, 2026. This is general information about renting in Texas, not legal or financial advice. Laws, prices, and screening rules change, so confirm details with each community and talk with an attorney about your own situation.

We work the rental markets in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio up close, file by file.

Screening software like SafeRent and Credit Retriever runs most applications now. This software often turns you down on its own at the first sign of an eviction.

Our parent service, second chance & background friendly apartment locating, is built for renters stuck in exactly this spot.

Getting approved doesn't mean pretending the eviction isn't there. It means matching your record to communities where a real person reads the file.

Searching “apartments that accept evictions Texas” puts you in one of the most common second chance spots we see. We work with every credit score too, including under 500. Let’s go over what landlords look at and a real plan to get approved.

Filing vs. judgment: what matters most

A filed eviction means a landlord started the court case in a justice of the peace court and paid the filing and service fees. In Travis County, that's $144 in 2026 (opens in new tab). A judgment means a justice court ruled against you and gave the unit back to the owner. Many Texas communities will overlook a filing, but a judgment only gets through if someone actually reads your file.

We get how confusing this is. Texas Senate Bill 38 (opens in new tab), which took effect in January 2026, has made the court process much faster. Now the court sets the trial 10 to 21 days after the filing, so a judgment can land within weeks.

Record Type	What It Means	How Hard to Get Approved
Filed Eviction	The case was started, but the court never made a final ruling.	Medium. Many communities will overlook it if a real person looks at your file.
Final Judgment	The court ruled for the property owner.	Hard. You'll need a true second chance property.

Properties that use automated software will likely deny you for either one. Communities that overlook both filings and judgments are usually smaller, privately owned complexes. If your case was settled before a judgment, dismissed, or vacated (the judgment was set aside), your screening looks a lot better.

Pull your records from LexisNexis or RentGrow before you apply anywhere. Seeing how your case shows up on those reports tells you which group you're in. Then you won't waste $50 to $85 on application fees at places that say no before anyone looks.

How long ago it happened

An eviction from six months ago is a very different conversation than a case from four years ago. Property managers use how long ago it was to size up the risk.

We look closely at the date of your filing when we build your community list. Time heals a rough rental history better than anything. Most communities see it in four stages:

• Under 12 months: This is the hardest spot. A few communities will still look at you if a person reads your file and your income is strong. The security deposit is often much higher.
• 1 to 3 years: Still tough, but doable. Communities that accept some evictions start to open up. A clear letter explaining what happened helps a lot here.
• 3+ years: Easier. A good number of Texas communities won't even count the record this far out. That's especially true for paid balances.
• 7+ years: The record often drops off your screening report completely. In most cases, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (opens in new tab) keeps screening companies from reporting eviction cases and judgments older than seven years.

What we actually do

We start by asking about the eviction itself. We need the year, whether it was a filing or a judgment, what you still owe, and which county it was in.

That lets us steer you away from automated software that would reject you. We use those details to pull a short list of communities whose rules fit your situation.

Here's how we'd start the plan for a few common records:

• A filing from 3 years ago, no judgment, $0 balance: we start with workforce housing where a person reads the file.
• Judgment from 18 months ago, balance paid: we look for communities where a person, not software, makes the call.
• A judgment from 5 years ago, $0 balance: many regular properties come back into play.
• Filed 6 months ago with the balance paid: we aim at flexible properties and plan for a higher deposit.

Each of those took its own community list and its own plan. Applying everywhere and hoping just doesn't work in any Texas metro right now.

What to gather before applying

Getting ready is one of the biggest things you can do for your file. Gather all the paperwork on your case before you apply anywhere new.

We tell every client to collect these:

• The filing date and judgment date. Find them on your screening report or in your county's justice court records (see below).
• How the case ended: dismissed, judgment, abandoned, or settled.
• Where the balance stands: paid in full, on a payment plan, or still open.
• The main reason for the eviction, like a job loss, illness, or a dispute.

That reason is the heart of your letter. Being honest here matters more than anything else.

Communities that read these letters will quickly spot it if your story doesn't match your background report. A clear story that matches the court record is what helps your file get a yes.

Evictions are filed in the justice of the peace court for the precinct where the unit is. To check your own case, search the records for the county where you rented:

• Austin (Travis County): Travis County Justice of the Peace records (opens in new tab)
• Houston (Harris County): Harris County Justice Courts case search (opens in new tab)
• Dallas (Dallas County): Dallas County courts portal (opens in new tab)
• Fort Worth (Tarrant County): Tarrant County court records search (opens in new tab)
• San Antonio (Bexar County): Call the justice of the peace court for the precinct where you rented.

Communities that don’t work with evictions

Many Class A downtown high rises deny any eviction automatically, and no person ever looks at the file. Newer luxury communities in each metro often use the same strict rules.

We rarely see exceptions at these pricey buildings, except when the renter uses a guarantor service. The software throws out the application before a leasing agent ever sees it.

Applying blind to luxury buildings with automated screening just costs you application fees and a lot of frustration.

Those high end buildings usually require a guarantor company. If you want to go that route, we cover it here.

Knowing which doors are closed saves you money. You can spend your application budget on apartments that work with evictions, not on automatic denials.

Start your profile

Have an eviction on your record? You need an honest look at your options. With the right plan, you have real options.

Tell us your situation to get a real read on what's possible. It's free and confidential.

Within 24 to 48 hours on weekdays, we'll send you a short list of communities that fit your eviction history. That way your application fees go where your file fits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rent in Texas with an eviction on my record?

It's possible. That's especially true if it was a filing with no judgment, if it was dismissed, or if it's more than 3 to 5 years old. Many Texas communities work with applicants who have an eviction. The key is picking the right communities and setting up your application well.

Does an eviction judgment make it impossible?

Harder, not impossible. Communities where a real person reads your file can approve a judgment, especially if the balance is paid and it happened years ago. We keep track of which communities in each metro work this way.

Will paying off the rental debt help?

Yes, a lot. Landlords forgive a paid balance much more easily than an open one. Even putting an old debt on a payment plan can open up communities that would otherwise turn you down.