This is a large category of housing that is owned and run by private landlords (NOT the government). Private housing could be an apartment, house, shelter, month-to-month lease, or year-to-year lease. It could be owned by a single owner or by a large property management company where you only interact with the housing managers and not the owner(s) themselves.
Private housing tends to have fewer legal barriers for people with records—instead, the landlord (owner) has more discretion and decision-making power about their background screening policies (learn more about illegal discrimination in housing on the basis of criminal records on PG. 357).
There are many different ways to find private housing, like an apartment owned by a private landlord. But it is no easy task, especially when your housing needs to be approved by parole or probation, you have special rules to follow in reentry, there is a lack of affordable housing, and discrimination you might be up against. It is important to find support in the housing search!
Websites like craigslist.com are good places to start—you can search by location, type of housing or apartment, and budget. You can also ask for suggestions from family, friends, or other formerly incarcerated people and mentors who have figured out long-term housing options. Finally, there are some transitional housing programs and reentry programs that provide housing to people with records. You can also search on Google.com for “reentry housing in California” – we found some helpful tips at the following website: https://www.jobsforfelonshub.com/housing-for-felons/california/.
Your landlord whoever owns the property. The owner could be a single person, a small group of people, or a large management company with many owner or shareholders. If you are renting a private apartment, look at your lease to find the name and contact information for the property’s owner.
…VERSUS…