Tarrant County
Second Chance Apartments in Downtown Fort Worth, Mid-Rise and High-Rise
Two months free lowers the rent. At the towers near the Tarrant County courthouse, it doesn't change the screening rules they used last year. Borderline credit with steady, documented income? There's often room there, and we'll make the case. With a recent eviction, the free months usually don't change the answer, and we'll tell you that before you apply.
Licensed
Texas Real Estate Commission
Brokerage
Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021
Cost to you
$0, free to renters
Response
Under 5 minutes during business hours, usually by text
Why the last application failed
Why Applications Near the Courthouse Get Denied
The Tarrant County courthouse is downtown, and so are two of the county's Justice of the Peace courts, which hear eviction cases. Many of the renters who call us about downtown have a filing still open in one of them. Under SB 38 that clock runs fast: trial 10 to 21 days after filing and five days to appeal. Summary disposition, a ruling with no trial, is only for squatter and forcible entry cases, with four days to respond.
A deadline makes every wasted fee worse
A denial costs $40 to $85, plus days you may not have as the court's clock keeps running.
Class A downtown means automated screening
Big management companies run many Sundance Square and West 7th buildings, and most screen through software like RealPage or Yardi. There's little room to bend, but you can learn the criteria ahead of time, and many of these companies accept lease guarantees.
The filing is public right away
An eviction filing is a public court record from the day it's filed. A screening report can show it before your case is even heard.
Why the court clock drives this search
Downtown pairs Class A rents and corporate screening with a courthouse a few blocks away that sets your deadline. We plan the search around your court date.
At a glance
Downtown at a glance: courts, rail and towers
County
Tarrant County
School districts
- Fort Worth ISD
Major employers
- Tarrant County government
- JPS Health Network
- Fort Worth Convention Center
Commute & transit
Rent snapshot
Downtown rents run above the Fort Worth average for most unit types. Class A units in Sundance Square, River District, and West 7th run well above it. Near Southside and the Medical District mix in some older buildings, but the market here leans newer and pricier.
Why this market is different
Class A Rents, a Courthouse, and the Approval Path That Works Here
The courthouse is here, and so is the fastest approval path
Two of the Tarrant County Justice of the Peace courts sit downtown, and eviction cases are filed and heard in both. The main Tarrant County Courthouse is here too. So a lot of downtown searches start with a filing still moving through the system. Under SB 38 the trial lands 10 to 21 days after filing. That's a hard deadline.
The apartments here don't make that any easier. Most are newer Class A buildings run by big management companies. Many screen through software like RealPage or Yardi, and staff on site have little room to bend. The upside is consistency: the criteria don't change from one applicant to the next, so you can learn them ahead of time. Many of the companies running buildings in Sundance Square, West 7th, and the River District accept lease guarantees through TheGuarantors or OneApp Guarantee. That's the usual path for a file that misses a credit or income cutoff. Fort Worth Second Chance Team works to keep track of which programs each community takes, and plans your search around your court date.
Class A rents with a courthouse around the corner
Mid-rise and high-rise apartments near Sundance Square and along West 7th run well above the Fort Worth average. Newer River District buildings are priced in a similar range. That raises every number at once: the income you need, the deposit if approval is conditional, and the guarantor fee through TheGuarantors or OneApp Guarantee. That fee is about one month's rent, paid once.
Near Southside and the Medical District are a bit more mixed. Older, locally managed buildings sit next to corporate ones. Where the manager on site has real say, a letter of explanation can get a file approved. If you work at JPS Health Network, the Medical District can put you close enough to walk to work. The Cultural District next to West 7th is walkable too, but it's priced to match, and its buildings usually use corporate criteria.
Say a conditional approval doubles the deposit. Deposit alternatives through Jetty or LeaseLock can cut your cash at signing, and many large management companies accept them (we can tell you which buildings do). TEXRail and the Trinity Railway Express both stop at Fort Worth Central Station and the T&P station at the south end of downtown. Trinity Metro buses cover the core too. If a car isn't in your budget, a unit near the rail line can make up for higher rent with real commute savings.
About property criteria here
We keep an internal database of community criteria and update it on a rolling basis, since we talk with leasing agents and property managers every day. Policies still change, so we work to confirm them before you apply. Criteria aren't a guarantee of approval. We don't post a fixed list of community names here. Criteria shift with occupancy, and an old list costs you application fees. Send us your situation and we pull the current criteria we have for the communities that fit. That covers eviction lookback, rental debt, income needed, background, and which outside programs each one takes. See how the search works.
Before you apply: Apartments That Accept Evictions
Guide
How Long Does an Eviction Stay on Your Record in Texas?
Texas court filings are public from day one and never expire. Screening bureaus usually stop reporting after seven years. Both matter, in different ways.
Guide
How to Write an Eviction Letter of Explanation Property Managers Accept
Dates, how the case ended, what changed since, and how stable you are now: what the letter needs, what to attach, and what to leave out.
Coverage
Where we search in Downtown Fort Worth
Downtown packs a lot of Class A into a few square miles, from Sundance Square through West 7th and the Near Southside. The courthouse and two of the JP courts sit here too, which matters if a filing is still open. We search the whole core and plan it around your court date.
Neighborhoods and districts
Searching a different part of the county? Our service area pages cover the rest of Tarrant County.
Landmarks renters know
- Sundance Square
- Bass Performance Hall
- Fort Worth Convention Center
- Tarrant County Courthouse
- Fort Worth Water Gardens
- Panther Island Pavilion
Getting around
I-30 and I-35W meet near downtown and connect it to Arlington, Dallas, and the rest of Tarrant County. TEXRail and the Trinity Railway Express both run from the Fort Worth T&P station, so DFW Airport and Dallas are one train ride away. Trinity Metro buses fan out from Fort Worth Central Station on the east side of downtown. No reliable car? Then the rail connections belong in the decision.
Second Chance Apartment Questions, Downtown Fort Worth
Can I rent near the Tarrant County courthouse with an active eviction filing?
Which kind of building should I target first if I have an eviction?
Is the rental market here only new construction?
How much does it cost to move in here with an eviction or bad credit?
Is Downtown Fort Worth a good option for renters without a car?
Quick 60 second form
Get your Downtown Fort Worth list
Answer what applies and we come back with your Fort Worth options in 24 to 48 hours.
Ready to Find Your Second Chance in Downtown Fort Worth?
Tell us your record and when you need to move. We match your file against what our database shows and come back with the communities that fit, plus what each one costs at signing.
Free to renters. We don't guarantee approval. The community makes every screening decision.