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In the last few years, credit card debts and other issues have dropped the credit score of people in the country. On the other hand, tough mortgage lending standards and foreclosures have pushed the proud homeowners to the rental market. It is not easy to get a rental apartment with poor credit score. Landlords check the credit reports of the prospective tenants minutely. This has created a major problem for the prospective tenants as most of them do not have fantastic credit score.

It is wrong to say that people with bad credit will not get a rental apartment ever. There are several people who have secured rental apartments in spite of having bad credit. Read along to know how you can convince the landlord to lease an apartment to you.

It is possible to get a rental apartment with poor credit

Check out the 5 tips and tricks to get a rental apartment even when you don't have a perfect credit score.

1 Resolve your credit issues before entering the rental market: Check your credit reports before stepping into the rental market. Find out what factors have tarnished your credit report. See if there are inaccurate negative marks on your credit report. If there are bad marks on your credit report due to an unpaid medical bill or student loan, then you can explain the scenario to the landlord. You can write down the reason on a piece of paper and attach it with your application.

2 Gather money to pay a large security deposit: Some landlords are extremely adamant. They may just refuse to rent out an apartment because of your poor credit score. In such a case, a large security deposit may appease the landlord to some extent. You will have to save the required amount from beforehand.

Landlords want to lease their apartments to the financially responsible tenants. The security deposit or rental deposit will give protection to landlords against loss of income.

3 Show your rent-to-income ratio to the landlord: An ideal tenant is the person who spends 35% of his wage for making rental payments. Sometimes, landlords charge a good amount for the rents. In such a situation, tenants have to exhaust 40% of their income for paying the rents. If your rent-to-income ratio is only 25%, then it will help you make a positive impression upon your landlord. For that, you need to have to earn a good amount every month.

4 Create a good impression before the landlord: First impression is the last impression. So, make sure you create a good impression on the landlord. Wear proper dress and talk politely with the landlord. Carry recommendations from your boss. If you have lived in rental apartments in the past, then you can show the recommendations of your previous landlords. This may induce the landlord to overlook your poor credit score.

5 Ask a co-signer to accompany you: A co-signer with good credit score can convince the landlord to lease his apartment to you. If you've just completed your higher education and you're looking for an apartment, then ask a person (family member, relative or an acquaintance) with good credit score to become a co-signer for you. You can even ask your roommate to become a co-signer. The land lord will feel little bit relieved for he can collect rents from the co-signer if the situation demands it.

Landlords prefer tenants who can move in to the apartment quickly. Landlords may approve the application of a person with a poor credit score if he can move in quickly. They want to earn dollars as early as possible. So, inform the landlord that you're ready to move in within a few days. This may tempt the landlord to prefer you rather than a person with good credit.

With proper help you can
  • Lower your monthly payments
  • Reduce credit card interest rates
  • Waive late fees
  • Reduce collection calls
  • Avoid bankruptcy
  • Have only one monthly payment
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