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Hi all,
Is there a way that I can rent an apartment that is in a nice area (no to very low crime) that they do not check the credit? If not what do you suggest (example find a friend or family member who will sign the lease)? I was told by many people (some in real estate) that section 8 is horrible because the apartments that accept section 8 are located in an UNsafe area and are usually run-down.
I look forward to your KIND responces on this matter.
Thank you in advance
Disagree here with description of section 8 as run down, not true.
They may not be in the best of neighborhoods, but are strict inspections
before rental.
There are LLs that don't do credit checks where I live, of course you don't
go out after dark unless you want to be mistaken for a drug dealer or shot.
Good Luck
Quite a few landlords who don't do credit checks really don't care about anything other than collecting rent. They are usually the type who refuse to spend a dime on their properties and always make up reasons to keep their renter's security deposits.
Quite a few landlords who don't do credit checks really don't care about anything other than collecting rent. They are usually the type who refuse to spend a dime on their properties and always make up reasons to keep their renter's security deposits.
I agree......you have to be very careful with these types because they will act like because you have credit issues, they can get away with anything. Read those leases carefully!
I also agree with the last two posts. As a landlord intent on keeping my rental properties in good repair and with good reputations, I think it would be foolilsh to rent without a credit check. My properties are mainly used by graduate students because they are close to the medical school of a major university. No credit would be better than bad credit for my tenants but still I require and have no issues with a parent cosigner.
IME, private landlords are less likely to ask for a credit application. We are renting now, and our landlord is a sweet little Italian lady who just wanted to talk to us to see if she liked us, which she did. She never asked for social security numbers or anything... I don't even remember if she asked where DH worked. We have a great rental at a great price, we exchange Christmas cookies with the landlord, and we all bring up the garbage cans, pick up litter in the front, helped with the raking and such when she had knee surgery (she owns two three-family homes on one large lot), and she keeps everything in tiptop shape, but dealing with private landlords can run the gamut from really bad to really good, I'm sure, so caveat emptor.
We have the same dilemma... nobody want to rent to international students with now US income and very short credit history, even when we offer to pay upfront.
I lived in a college town in a professionally managed high rise out of college that never did a credit check.
I rented a condo during grad school where the landlord never did a credit check.
My credit was good in both instances so I didn't care, but in the first case the landlord just wanted to see pay stubs - the second case the landlord wanted to see bank statements to show some kind of money in the bank.
A lot of rentals in college areas/towns are used to people with limited credit history/international students who have no credit history. Also older landlords in my experience are less likely to do credit checks, especially the type who are more interested in your professional demeanor/presentation than a number on an application. When I scoped out apartments when I was going to grad school basically every landlord offered to rent to me on the spot with very little due diligence, because I had a professional/business like demeanor. But most landlords will often consider grad students to be near ideal tenants.
Honestly credit score isn't really as relevant to lower end rentals anyway, having the cash to pay the bill is more important (but a credit report shoudl show eviction history, which IMO is what's important, not the score itself). Rent will generally be the first bill anyone pays, since it's their home. I think landlords that don't do credit checks are more common than people think, although I found it strange in both situations that both landlords did so little due diligence. But hey, I was a great tenant anyway.
If you rent from a private person instead of a managment company, you may have better luck. Plus you should be upfront that you have bad credit and show/explain how you have been trying to do better.
If someone pulls your credit report and you have recent lates on there, then they aren't going to beleive that you are trying to do better. But if your late payments are older and you have a good explanation then I think you'll be able to find a landlord to work with you.
going thru a chapter 13 bankruptcy when i had to move and my landlord accepted 12 cancelled rent checks from my previous landlord. Saved $50, no credit check and I was in. my scores are in the 700's now and the bankruptcy will be off my credit next year
I advertise on several website and Craigs list is one of them but I always do credit checks.
If you are so affraid for a check then you know where you end up ...in places where probably no one wants to live and then you will come back on this forum complaining how bad the place is...if you have something in your past that you can explain to a LL than I advise you to be open about it and try to get a co-signer.
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