Renting an apartment while pregnant: Any tips?

We’re renting out an apartment, and a pregnant woman reached out about the listing. She’s basically in a tough spot—fled a domestic violence situation and has nowhere else to go. She promised she’d cover the security deposit and rent as soon as her next paycheck hits. We wouldn't mind running a background check and filing the paperwork, and we're even willing to wait for her to get her footing financially, but I’m stuck on the "what if" factor. If things go south once she has the baby and she can't keep up with the rent, what are my actual options? I've heard rumors that in the US, you can't evict a pregnant woman or a family with kids regardless of whether they're paying or not. Is there any truth to that?

Keith Allen2 said:We’re renting out an apartment, and a pregnant woman reached out about the listing. She’s basically in a tough spot—fled a domestic violence situation and has nowhere else to go. She promised she’d cover the security deposit and rent as soon as her next paycheck hits. We wouldn't mind running a background check and filing the paperwork, and we're even willing to wait for her to get her footing financially, but I’m stuck on the "what if" factor. If things go south once she has the baby and she can't keep up with the rent, what are my actual options? I've heard rumors that in the US, you can't evict a pregnant woman or a family with kids regardless of whether they're paying or not. Is there any truth to that?

I was doing a little digging on Google, and man, the info is all over the place... some people say you can, others say you definitely can't. Maybe try checking out this link and this one. Or, honestly, you could just not rent to her at all, I guess. 🤷

Things can get pretty messy here because if they don't have any savings and aren't willing to move out, you're stuck in a corner where your only option is to file a lawsuit—but let’s be honest, how much are you actually going to recover if there isn't any money to seize? Besides, is there any judge in the country who would realistically rule to throw a mother and her newborn out onto the street without ensuring she has another place to go, whether that's with you or through some city housing program?
I suppose I would personally push the legal route further, even if it sounds a bit cold-hearted, but then again, at the end of the day, this is just my profession.

Look, you can't just kick a mother and her baby out onto the street if they don't have the cash to cover rent...

There’s no point in worrying about her. Her husband needs to step up and take care of them both.

Keith Allen2 said:We’re renting out an apartment, and a pregnant woman reached out about the listing. She’s basically in a tough spot—fled a domestic violence situation and has nowhere else to go. She promised she’d cover the security deposit and rent as soon as her next paycheck hits. We wouldn't mind running a background check and filing the paperwork, and we're even willing to wait for her to get her footing financially, but I’m stuck on the "what if" factor. If things go south once she has the baby and she can't keep up with the rent, what are my actual options? I've heard rumors that in the US, you can't evict a pregnant woman or a family with kids regardless of whether they're paying or not. Is there any truth to that?

Look... if that rent money is what keeps your lights on every month... then damn... you're looking at a massive headache. But if it isn't, and if you can weather the absolute worst-case scenario... honestly? I'd take her in. Let it be what it is. A pregnant woman running from an abuser with zero options... maybe doing the right thing isn't such a bad idea. Karma catches up eventually.

Jason Morgan4 said:Look... if that rent money is what keeps your lights on every month... then damn... you're looking at a massive headache. But if it isn't, and if you can weather the absolute worst-case scenario... honestly? I'd take her in. Let it be what it is. A pregnant woman running from an abuser with zero options... maybe doing the right thing isn't such a bad idea. Karma catches up eventually.

Why would he even agree to that? Do you honestly think anyone would let him stay in their apartment just because he's in trouble? And then he'd be stuck paying rent on top of everything else. He definitely doesn't need that headache.

I wouldn't bother getting tangled up in that; there are plenty of more reasonable applicants out there elsewhere.

Sarah Nguyen96 said:Why would he even agree to that? Do you honestly think anyone would let him stay in their apartment just because he's in trouble? And then he'd be stuck paying rent on top of everything else. He definitely doesn't need that headache.

Because even an abused pregnant woman needs a roof over her head. And honestly, where's the guarantee a "perfect" student is actually going to pay rent on time or not trash the place? A buddy of mine once rented to a student who turned out to be a total junkie... He dealt with 700 headaches before finally getting her out. It ended up needing legal intervention just to clear the place. There are zero guarantees. Yeah, throwing a mother and child onto the street is rough. But if you think kicking a single guy out is easy, you're dead wrong. The law is there to protect him, not you.

There’s zero chance you can just kick her out. Not legally. You can't even evict a single adult occupant without a massive legal headache, let alone a wife with a newborn.

Look, there is one silver lining in your situation. Since you're from Cleveland, if she qualifies as a single mother, the city provides rental assistance of roughly $110 a month. If all else fails, that's basically guaranteed money. Plus, if the father chips in some child support, things might actually work out.

Why hasn't she reached out to a domestic violence shelter? There’s one right in Cleveland. They are far more qualified to handle situations like this. They can guarantee her anonymity and provide the basic necessities for the baby. Her husband is a major risk factor too; if he's that violent, he could easily show up and cause trouble. From a financial standpoint, the fact that she's already waiting on her next paycheck just to cover rent means she's starting from zero. Once the baby arrives, the expenses are going to pile up, and she'll have to prioritize. That usually means rent ends up at the bottom of the list...