Ways To Rent An Apartment When Your Credit Is Bad
One of the things you will find when looking at apartments for rent is that landlords look at credit. They do this because they know that tenants with good credit are more likely to pay their rent and follow the rules of the lease. If you do not have good credit but really want to rent an apartment, there are options you could pursue that may help you find a landlord who will rent to you even though you appear to not be creditworthy. Here are some of the options you might want to look into.
Find landlords who do not run credit checks
The first option you could consider is looking for landlords who do not opt to run credit checks. Finding a landlord like this is much harder to do, but there are some around. In most cases, it is landlords who own just a few rental properties who are the type who do not run vigorous checks on applicants, so you may want to look for this type of landlord.
Be prepared to offer recommendations and referrals
If you are having a hard time finding landlords who do not run credit checks, you should consider other options that involve finding ways to prove to a landlord that you are creditworthy even though your credit score shows a different story. To do this, you should prepare yourself to offer recommendations and referrals from trusted sources. You could ask a previous landlord for a referral if you have one, or you could ask your boss.
Find a cosigner
You always have the option of putting a cosigner on your lease, too. However, this can be hard to find. A person who cosigns takes responsibility to pay your rent if you do not, and this is a big responsibility and risk on the person who cosigns.
Offer more money upfront
The other option you have is to find a unit to rent and offer the landlord extra money upfront. In other words, offer to pay for several months of rent when you move in, instead of only paying one, or offer to pay a little extra per month for the rent. If a landlord needs a tenant, this might be a good way to persuade him or her to choose you.
It is harder to find a landlord who will rent to you if your credit is bad, but there are still options. If you have questions or would like to learn more, call an apartment manager today.
