Still Owe an Old Apartment? Fort Worth and Arlington Communities That Work With Lease Debt
Owing money to an old apartment complex changes the math on your next move. In Fort Worth, a community that accepts your broken lease might still ask for a bigger deposit, a risk fee or a third party guarantor. A risk fee is an extra charge to approve you, and a guarantor is a company that backs your lease for a fee. The advertised rent near the Stockyards or along West 7th usually won’t show those extra costs.
Published by Broken Lease Team · Local sources reviewed October 11, 2026. Each program’s status has its own date below.
Build your Fort Worth list around your areas and your budget
Sometimes a place in the part of town you already know works better than stretching across DFW for one more option. Tell us the parts of Fort Worth you want. Would Arlington or another nearby area work too?
First we look at how old the broken lease is, the amount due and where the account stands. Then we check how you can show your income. If a community comes with one of those extra costs, compare the full move in quote with the money you have. We build your list around your real numbers, not just a rent range.
Tell us about background issues, too, and anything that makes your income hard to show on paper. Need help paying a housing bill? The local help section below shows how Tarrant County takes those requests today. We keep working on your search as you handle that.
Tell us your move deadline, the areas you want and a monthly budget that works. Applying for help with a bill where you live now? Don’t plan your moving budget around money you haven’t been approved for yet. And if there’s an eviction case, get legal help right away.
See where each community is
The lists we send come with a map of the communities we recommend. If you ride Trinity Metro buses or DART, look up the route from any of those addresses with the GoPass trip planner.
Plan move in costs without counting on outside help
We tell you which third party guarantor companies the communities on your list accept. Once you pick a community, confirm the unit, the price and the fees, and name us as your locator on the application. A guarantor fee isn’t a refundable deposit, and an assistance program may not cover it. Run the real quotes you get through our guarantor quote guide and move in planner. A citywide average won’t tell you what you’ll pay.
Local help in Fort Worth: choose the right route
In Tarrant County, help with rent and utilities now goes through a community partner. Check what each program covers before you apply.
Tarrant County says rent and utility assistance moved to the Center for Transforming Lives on November 1, 2025. Use the partner below, not an old county emergency assistance form. The partner runs several programs, so ask for the Tarrant County Community Outreach Fund by name.
These outside groups set their own rules on who qualifies, and they’re separate from our apartment search. Asking them for help doesn’t pause a court deadline, and it doesn’t mean you’ll get money or a lawyer. Programs change often, so call to confirm what’s open.
Applications moved to a community partner
Tarrant County Human Services referral
Who or where: Tarrant County referral for rent and utility assistance
The county sends rent and utility questions to the Center for Transforming Lives and lists 817-607-8137 as the number to call. The move changed who takes applications. It doesn’t promise that anyone who applies will get money.
Your next step: Call 817-607-8137 and ask if applications are open, or follow the county’s link to the partner. Check how to apply today before you fill out an older county form.
Who or where: Ask about the Tarrant County Community Outreach Fund
The partner’s page has short term rent and utility applications under the Community Outreach Fund, plus housing and counseling help. In April 2026, local news said the fund’s money could run out before its contract was set to end in October 2026. That month has passed, so ask the fund whether it’s still paying before you count on it.
Your next step: Pick the rent and utility section. Ask the fund directly whether it’s taking applications, who qualifies, which addresses it covers and what proof of hardship it needs.
Who or where: You have to qualify, and they have to accept your case
LANWT’s lawyers can help with evictions and landlord disputes. Bill help and legal aid are separate applications. Paying what you owe doesn’t settle an open court case.
Your next step: Apply online or by phone using the official page. Tell them right away if a hearing or other court deadline is coming up.
Who or where: Tarrant County; check which precinct has your case
The county’s Justice Court links include a precinct lookup and case record searches. The page sits under Precinct 1. Your case may be in a different one.
Your next step: Match the court and case number on your paperwork. If the online record is unclear, ask the clerk handling that case for the final outcome.
Am I applying to the Community Outreach Fund or a different partner program?
Can this program cover the expense I have now, and what proof do you need?
Which Tarrant County precinct and clerk handle my case?
Have the right facts ready
Your current address and county.
Lease dates, a recent itemized balance and any payment or settlement records.
Any notice or citation, including the court, case number and hearing date.
Your target move date and how much you can spend to move in.
Ask the agency which documents it needs and send them the way it asks. Our tools never ask you to upload court papers or ID.
If a screening report is wrong, use our denial and report review guide. Court records, your landlord’s payment history and screening reports each show something different. Paying a balance doesn’t delete the record. Use the preparation kit to organize what you know.
How we keep this page current
We keep a log of Fort Worth apartment communities, sorted by the kinds of broken leases they tell us they’ll consider. It covers recent and older breaks, paid or settled balances, collections accounts and no rental history since. We update it from our calls with leasing offices, and it’s where your list starts. When a rule isn’t clear for your situation, we call the community and ask. Their rules change, and approval is always up to the community.
Each resource on this page links to the agency, court or transit system that runs it, so you can check the details at the source. Funding and open appointments change, so go by what the agency tells you, not by what you read here.
