Has anybody else applied for more than one apartment? (apartments, to rent)

[UniqueSoCal]

I'm a first-time renter. I've been looking at apartments and found 2 really good ones very close to where I'll be working. I applied for one earlier in the week, and am applying for another one today. The reason is that I don't have the best credit in the world, and I want to increase my odds of getting a place as much as possible. Is this pretty common, or should I just stick to applying for one at a time until I get approved or rejected?

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by UniqueSoCal

I'm a first-time renter. I've been looking at apartments and found 2 really good ones very close to where I'll be working. I applied for one earlier in the week, and am applying for another one today. The reason is that I don't have the best credit in the world, and I want to increase my odds of getting a place as much as possible. Is this pretty common, or should I just stick to applying for one at a time until I get approved or rejected?

Depending on what your issues are you should simply ask the property manager/landlord/owner upfront if they rent to someone with your specific credit issues. This way you are not wasting inquiries on your credit profile which could possibly drop your scores lower.

[UniqueSoCal]

Both properties seem to think I should be okay. One of them says they don't check for credit scores, but only for evictions and collections on utilities. The other says that bad credit might lead to a very high deposit, but that there should be a way for me to get in. I think I have a pretty good shot at both places, but I hope I'm not being unfair to them by applying to more than one place.

[Lorielicious]

If you've been apt hunting in LA, then you should know it gets pretty ugly out there, and they know it too. They likely don't expect that theirs is the only place you have any interest in. Filling out the application isn't the same as declaring that you want the apartment. Once you do say you'd like to rent, however, they'll likely require a non-refundable deposit, as they are taking the apartment off the market specifically for you.

[MattJones]

The only way it'll affect your credit is if both communities check your credit history. You'll most likely pay an applcation fee in this case and it'll show up as a soft inquiry and lower your credit score 1-3 points.