What range of credit score is acceptable for renting an apartment?
Question by Kathy N: What range of credit score is acceptable for renting an apartment?
My company is closing here in California next May and I will be relocating to Austin in either mid-Aprl or May 1st of next year. I have been with my company for 23 years and am looking for a 4-6 month rental until I purchase a home. My current credit score is fair-good due in part to a divorce a couple of years back. As I have never rented an apartment before, always a home, I am not familiar with the credit requirements, I have heard they are very stringent. If I would not qualify, any advice you might have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
Best answer:
Answer by Anne
The truth is that it is not necessarily your credit score, but more specific, they will look for defaulting on leases, and such. Very few landlords check it like a credit card company would. However, these days, credit scores are usually checked by some landlords.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
When landlords run your credit they look at a number of things. For one they look at how much debt you are carrying to see if you can even afford the rent. They also look to see if you have a bunch of things in collections (especially recently) to see if you are the type of person that skips out on their creditors. They also look for judgments against you which is where past broken leases would show up. Each landlord /management company has their own equation of who qualifies and who does not. From what you have described I doubt you will have the slightest problem just as long as you aren’t a sex offender.