Can I Rent a Home if I Have a Low Credit Score?

The search for a home to rent may seem impossible at first if you have a low credit score. Many landlords use credit scores to determine who they will rent to because they believe they are indicative of the renter's ability to pay them rent in the future. Since a landlord is the person who ultimately decides if you can rent from them or not, your chances of renting depend largely on how importantly the landlord weighs credit history. Those landlords who value scores highly are unlikely to rent to you, especially if they are renting a new or more expensive house.

On the other hand, there are plenty of landlords that do not use credit scores as the final determinant. In fact many landlords are mainly focused on filling their vacant homes as soon as they can and will look past low scores provided you can still prove your ability to pay rent.

If the landlord you are looking to rent from does check credit scores, there are a few suggestions you can try to optimize your chance of being able to rent. A good first step is getting a recommendation from someone you have rented from before. This will leave a good impression on the landlord because it shows that you not only paid your rent, but also left it good condition.

A second option is to offer to pay more money upfront. The immediate guarantee of money is appealing to landlords and shows that you have some extra funds to pay off your rent bills in the future.

Having a cosigner on your lease can also improve your chances of the landlord approving you to rent. If there is a cosigner on your lease the landlord knows there is a second source of money should you ever fail to pay your own bill.

Finally, you could always try to avoid a credit check all together. Some landlords simply do not inquire about your credit history. Many times, landlords like this will post listings in cheap ads and free newspapers.

Although a bad credit score can make renting more difficult, there are still many ways to find the right place to rent. Following the suggestions above can help you find a home with a landlord that is ready and willing to rent to you!