Having a felony record plus bad credit puts Detroit renters in one of the toughest applicant pools in Michigan. Many large apartment communities use automated screening that rejects applicants with felony convictions outright — and reporting by Metromode found some returning citizens pay dozens of application fees only to be turned down every time because of their record. But Detroit has something most Michigan cities don't: a Fair Chance Ordinance that specifically regulates how landlords can use criminal history in rental screening. Combined with the right second-chance strategies, a felony and bad credit don't have to keep you out of housing in 2026.
Detroit's Fair Chance Ordinance: What It Gives You
Detroit's Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing Ordinance (Detroit City Code Article VIII, effective September 2019) sets rules for landlords with five or more rental units, according to reporting by Next City:
- No criminal-history questions on the initial application. Landlords can't ask about your record until they've determined you're otherwise qualified and made you a conditional lease offer — only then can they run a background check (Beacon Journal).
- Denial is limited. Per the ordinance's release, tenants may only be denied for crimes relevant to the safety of people or property (violent crimes, arson, lifetime sex-offender registration offenses), felonies committed within the past 10 years, or convictions resulting in imprisonment within the past five years.
- You get a chance to respond. Before denying you based on criminal history, the landlord must let you present evidence of rehabilitation — proof of treatment, employer recommendation letters, and similar documentation.
- Complaints have somewhere to go. If you believe a landlord violated the ordinance, you can file a complaint with Detroit's Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity, which investigates violations.
Know this ordinance before you apply — landlords are less likely to bend the rules when tenants know their rights.
Second Chance Options in Detroit for Felons and Bad Credit
Locator and matchmaking services
Specialist finders keep lists of which Detroit-area properties actually approve applicants with felonies and low credit, saving you wasted application fees. Second Chance Apartments lists Detroit among the cities where it matches renters with poor rental history, bad credit, broken leases, and criminal convictions to approving communities — contact them with your full history so the match is realistic.
Reentry-focused housing lists
Publications like FelonFriendly.us maintain felony-friendly housing lists that include Michigan options such as Second Chance Homes, which rents homes in Detroit and Grand Rapids. These lists are third-party compilations, not guarantees — always confirm a property's current screening policy directly before applying.
Private landlords and smaller buildings
Smaller Detroit landlords and single-family rental owners often judge applicants individually rather than running automatic denials. Steady current income, proof of employment, and an honest written explanation of your record carry real weight with them. Be upfront — a landlord who discovers a felony on a background check after you hid it will assume the worst.
Detroit Resources for Returning Citizens
- Nation Outside: Michigan's statewide returning-citizen advocacy and reentry organization — helps people coming home with resources including housing navigation.
- Crossroads Detroit: local reentry support organization cited by returning citizens in the Metromode reporting as a helpful resource for readjustment after incarceration.
- Michigan Department of Corrections — Offender Success: provides reentry support services including housing referrals for people leaving incarceration.
- United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC): uchcdetroit.org — free housing assistance to income-eligible Detroiters since 1973, including landlord-tenant legal counseling, housing placement, and foreclosure prevention. Call (313) 963-3310.
- Detroit Housing Commission: dhcmi.org — administers public housing and housing choice voucher programs; check current waitlist and application status on their site.
- United Way 211: dial 2-1-1 (24/7) — connects Wayne County residents with emergency housing, shelters, and rental assistance.
Michigan Law Worth Knowing Before You Apply
- Fair Chance Ordinance (Detroit): as described above — no criminal-record questions on initial applications from landlords with five or more units; background checks only after a conditional offer; denials limited to safety-relevant crimes and recent felonies; right to present rehabilitation evidence.
- Security deposits: Michigan law caps deposits at 1.5 months' rent and requires landlords to return them (or an itemized deduction list) within 30 days after you move out.
- Application fees: ask whether the fee is refundable and what screening it covers. As the returning citizens in Detroit told Metromode, fees add up fast — only pay once you've confirmed you meet the property's basic criteria.
- Credit and background reports: landlords need your written authorization before running a consumer report, and under federal law (FCRA) they must give you a copy of the report and a chance to dispute errors if they deny you based on it. Old negative entries generally age off after about seven years.
- Note: this is general information, not legal advice; verify program details and current ordinance rules before relying on them.
How to Apply With a Felony and Bad Credit in Detroit
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Know your ordinance rights | If the landlord has 5+ units, they can't ask about your record on the initial application — and any denial must follow the ordinance's rules | Protects you from being screened out before you're even evaluated |
| 2. Build a rehabilitation packet | Employer letters, treatment completion proof, community involvement, evidence of steady work | The ordinance gives you the right to present this; it also convinces private landlords |
| 3. Pull your own reports | Check your credit and background reports for errors before applying | Disputing errors now raises your approval odds and your credit standing |
| 4. Use specialist locators | Contact second-chance matching services with your full history upfront | Stops you wasting fees on properties with hard felony cutoffs |
| 5. Settle old landlord debt | Pay or settle any balances owed to prior landlords and get it in writing | Many flexible properties require old rental debt resolved first |
| 6. Confirm screening before paying | Ask for the written criteria: lookback years, credit minimums, felony policy | Saves you application fees and targets only properties that can say yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord in Detroit reject me for a felony from years ago?
Under Detroit's Fair Chance Ordinance, landlords with five or more units may only deny you for felonies committed within the past 10 years, convictions resulting in imprisonment within the past five years, or crimes relevant to the safety of people or property. Older, non-violent felonies fall outside those denial grounds — and you have the right to present rehabilitation evidence before any denial.
Can I rent in Detroit with a felony and bad credit at the same time?
Yes, though it's harder. Second-chance locator services, reentry housing lists, and private landlords who evaluate applicants individually are your strongest paths. Steady income and a solid explanation packet offset both problems at once.
Do Detroit landlords have to follow the Fair Chance Ordinance?
The ordinance applies to landlords with five or more rental units. Smaller landlords are not covered, though they still must comply with federal Fair Housing law. If you believe a covered landlord violated the ordinance, you can file a complaint with Detroit's Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity.
Should I hide my record on applications?
No. Lying on an application is grounds for denial or later eviction. In Detroit, the ordinance protects you from early disclosure anyway — wait until you're asked (after a conditional offer) and come prepared with your rehabilitation evidence.