How it works
Most of the work happens before you spend a dollar. By the time you fill out an application, we've matched your file against what we have on that property: what it checks, how far back it looks, and what it charges at signing.
Licensed
Texas Real Estate Commission
Brokerage
Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021
Cost to you
$0, free to renters
Response
Weekday check-ins, usually by text
Four steps from message to keys
Your timeline depends on your deadline and what's open. In a rush, you can be signing a lease inside a week. A planned move usually takes two to three weeks.
Step 1
Prequalification
We get the full story: move-in date, budget, bedrooms, pets, area, and your record. That means filing dates, how each case ended, balances, credit range, and background.
Step 2
Criteria matching
We match your file against the criteria we track for each property: lookback windows, balance rules, income multiples, background policies, and accepted programs.
Step 3
Application strategy
We prep your documents, write a letter of explanation where your record needs one, and rank the shortlist by how well each community fits your file.
Step 4
Tours, lease, keys
You tour with the property, in person or by video. Before you sign, we check the cash at signing against the estimate we gave you. If a denial comes, we work out the next move with you.
How long each stage takes
Most of the waiting is on the property side. Get your documents ready before the first application, and the rest moves quickly.
| Stage | Who does the work | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Intake and prequalification | You and us, one conversation | Same day |
| Criteria and program matching | Us, using the criteria in our database | 1 to 2 weekdays |
| Document prep and applications | Both of us, with the packet ready first | 1 to 3 days |
| Property decision | The community | 24 to 72 hours |
| Lease signing and keys | You and the community | 1 to 3 days |
The question we hear most
Why it costs you nothing
Our service is free to you. Your rent doesn’t go up to cover it, and nothing is added to what you owe.
There's no consultation charge, no research fee, and no deposit to work with us.
Here's how applying blind compares with a targeted search, at the usual $40 to $85 application fee per adult.
| Search method | Application fees | Time spent |
|---|---|---|
| Applying blind | $120 to $425 for three to five denials | Weeks |
| Targeted locating | $40 to $85 each at one or two properties | Days |
Two properties whose criteria fit your file will do more for you than six that deny you.
What moving in actually costs
Our service is free. Moving in isn't. These are the charges that show up at a Fort Worth leasing office, and we give you an estimate for each community before you tour.
| Cost at signing | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Application fee Charged per adult applicant, non-refundable, whether approved or not | $40 to $85 per adult |
| Administrative fee Charged once at approval by most communities | $100 to $250 |
| Security deposit Doubles at many properties when approval comes back conditional | $0 to 2× rent |
| Deposit alternative Swaps the cash deposit for a smaller fee, where the property offers it | Varies |
| Risk fee Some conditional approvals use this instead of a larger deposit | Varies |
| Guarantor premium About one month's rent, paid once. The program screens you separately | ≈ one month’s rent |
| First month’s rent Prorated if you move in mid-month; a free rent special at a new building can offset it | Full month |
| Our fee Free to renters | $0 |
Ranges are typical for Tarrant County and vary by property, unit, and season. The lease has the final numbers.
Ask for the written criteria before you pay
Under Texas Property Code Section 92.3515, landlords have to make their written screening criteria available when they give you an application. If they don't, and they turn you down, they have to refund your fee. This is general information, not legal advice, and we're not attorneys.
Free to you. We reply during weekday business hours, usually by text
What we need from you at intake
Screening turns all of this up anyway. Telling us first lets us match you only where the criteria fit, instead of finding out after you've paid the fee.
Move-in date
Hard deadline or flexible. It changes which units we search.
Budget
What you can pay each month, and how much cash you have for signing.
Bedrooms and pets
Breed and weight restrictions vary and pet fees are real money.
Area
City, school district, or commute. Any of the three works as a starting point.
Eviction history
Filing date, county, and how it ended: dismissed, agreed, or judgment.
Broken lease status
When, why, and whether anything is still owed.
Balances owed
Amount, to whom, and whether it's settled or on a plan.
Credit range
A rough range is fine. We can walk you through pulling the real file.
Background
Type of offense and years since the case closed, just the facts.
Income sources
Including VA disability, SSI, child support, 1099, and household income.
Want to see your own file first?
You have a right to it. Our guide shows how to request your Experian RentBureau, SafeRent Solutions, and TransUnion reports and search Tarrant County court records. It covers what to do if something is wrong, too.
Read the screening report guide
Tell us where you stand
Share your situation and we'll match it against the criteria we track to build a list of Fort Worth communities that fit. Free to you, and no obligation.
Free to renters. We don't guarantee approval. The community makes every screening decision.
Quick 60 second form
Second chance apartments in Fort Worth made simple
Answer what applies and we come back with your Fort Worth options in 24 to 48 weekday hours.