Honestly, I think you would be surprised how many landlords don't check criminal backgrounds. Heck, id even consider fibbing on that part of the application. If you have a job and can rent qualify, I think you shouldn't have a lot of trouble finding a house to rent.

Becky, o is right, VERY few independent LLs check ANY background.

YOU need to sell YOU, so they don't ask about your past.

With my generation, the ones who decide who lives in my houses, personal appearance is VERY important.

Present yourself clean, modest, dressed to impress a 50 year old LL, cover tatoos, remove anything other than girlie pierced earring, and treat the LL with respect. That alone will put you in the top 95%.

(my town just had a giant job fair. The newspaper article even wrote about how poorly many applicants presented themselves - baggy shorts, skull t-shirts, unshaven...these may be OK with the young crowd, but they are broke! needing favor from the older folks who control the property and jobs.)

Look for a Mom&Pop landlord who do not charge an application fee. They are less sophisticated, not running credit checks, criminal checks, etc.

DO NOT ask about painting the house, or other demands. Be easy to deal with.

If you really want to bat a home run, get a few respected people to write a character reference, like your pastor, and attach copies to your application.

"I've known Becky for 5 years and she has always been truthful and helpful."

Have a job, make copies of your pay stubs to attach to your application to prove employment, (oops, just re-read - SSD - have copies to prove the amoutn you receive. Most LLs use 1/3 of your income as a guide for rent affordability)

have the deposit and first month's rent saved up and ready, and look for something inexpensive where you can stay and build a record of stability.

2 years from now your LL can say "I hate to see her go! She paid on time every month and keeps the apt nice and clean."

Most LLs that DO make criminal checks go back 5 or 10 years, so soon it will be 5 years.

Congrats on staying clean! and best of luck.

Brad has given you some great tips, now I'll bring up some of the brutally honest truth.

A lot of those mom 'm pop land lords who don't check back ground are nice, but you are also going to find the scum of the earth land lords who never make property repairs and rent roach motels.

Think of it this way: you're asking someone to "take a chance" on you that the behaviors you've fallen prey to in the past are not going to resurface. If ANYTING AT ALL sends up warning sign about you, a land lord who has half a brain is going to be suspicious.

List of DOs: 1) Do be 100% honest about your past. This includes credit, background, evictions, etc. Do not attempt to cover up any of it because again the land lords with a ounce of brains will check and if we find one thing out of order it will be grounds for denying your application when put along side of a felon. Liar felons are worse than just plain felons.

2) Do own up to your mistakes rather than shift blame around. Land lords HATE to hear you bad mouth past landlords, past bosses, past boyfriends, past (fill in the blank). Simply state your case, and stick with "that's not something I do any more...it's been x-years since I last had a problem.

3) Do offer an incentive to your land lord. Offer to pay an extra security deposit, for example. You can even say, "I understand there may be some trust issues with renting to someone with a rough background. To demonstrate my good faith, I'm prepared to offer first and last month's rent up front, as well as $300 extra security deposit." MONEY TALKS in this business. Promises are cheap.

List of DON'T 1) Do not ask the land lord to "Work with you" on the deposit or the first month's rent. That phrase screams "broke deadbeat" to us, and once we see the felony, your application goes on the bottom of the pile below the people who are just plain broke.

2) Don't move your boyfriend in without full approval from the land lord in writing.

3) Don't move your unauthorized pet in. Also, don't "pet sit" for Uncle Joey's dog, even if it's "just for one night"...land lords HATE unauthorized pets almost as much as unapproved boyfriend/co-tenants.

4) Don't be 1 day late paying rent. There is no excuse. Our businesses run like clockwork and we rent paid in full, on time, all the time, period. When we say rent is due on the first...for crying in the soup we mean MONEY IN OUR HANDS ON THE FIRST. Not the second, or the third, or "gee my car broke down and I had to fix it", "I mailed it last week and the post office lost it" or "well, it was my cousin's / mom's / kid's birthday and I had to buy a gift." Due on the first means the first. Actually, like my old band teacher used to say, "be early...if you're just on time you're late". So pay on the 30th of the month prior to when rent is due. Impress us.

The best tenants get the best land lords. The mediocre /average tenants settle for what's left over. So that's not a complete list, but it's a few I'd do if I were in your shoes.