How can you rent an apartment with bad credit?
I live in WI and am having to move suddenly. I made some bad choices and ended up with a bankruptcy and bad credit on my file. I am getting divorced - he is the reason for the debt - never kept a job and we went under. I worked all my life and now my file looks bad. How can you overcome this in trying to find a new apartment?
Tags: Bad Credit, Apartment, new apartment, Credit, bankruptcy, rentRelated posts:
Not every landlord checks credit. A solid rental history will help too.
It is very hard to overcome bad credit. Some places will allow you to go on payment plans where you pay every two weeks and pay a month ahead. Some will require you to have a co-signer just like buying a car. Some will not allow you to get an apartment at all but look around in your area. I went to apartmentguide.com, apartmentfinder.com and various other sites. I called around and found a few that I visited and then finally found one. Keep working hard to get your credit back up and one day you will be able to get a good place because with bad credit I have a not so great apartment but it is a place to live.
Depending on the type of bankruptcy, it can take several years to come off of your credit report. There are also free services that will give you advice on finances and credit. Go to your state agency website, your local job and family services, and ask them who you could contact for help.
Try to find a rental through someone at work or church. You need a landlord with just a few properties who doesn’t have to follow stringent guidelines.
Get a letter of referral from your present landlord. If you are leaving in good standing and leave the property clean, you should be able to get one.
There are some landlords who do not care about credit or income.
Trying to get a mortgage loan is a different story.
You’ll just have to inquire in your apartment hunt.