How to Find an Apartment to Rent When You Have Bad Credit

Many landlords and property management companies check a prospective tenant's credit as part of the application process. Financial difficulties, collections, bankruptcies, foreclosures and other credit problems can drive your credit score down. While some landlords may refuse to rent to tenants with credit problems, you may be able to find a landlord that does not check credit or who can be negotiated with.

• 1

  Check rental listings specifically stating they accept bad credit applicants. Landlords and property management companies that need to fill up empty units may lower credit requirements.

• 2

  Look for apartment listings posted by private landlords, not property management companies. Private and individual landlords may not have the same stringent screening process that larger landlords insist on. A private landlord can still check your credit, but may not automatically deny you for having a credit score below a specific number.

• 3

  Ask the landlord if he offers a sliding security deposit scale based on credit scores. If the landlord has a scale of deposits, he charges a larger security deposit for lower scores. You'll simply need to pay more upfront to rent the apartment.

• 4

  Negotiate with a property management company if you can't or don't want to find a private landlord. If your bad credit does not include an eviction, a property management company might be persuaded into renting to you with higher monthly rent, a higher security deposit or advanced rent paid.

• 5

  Prove financial stability by showing the prospective landlord your savings and checking account amounts, as well as a monthly budget. If you can prove you can handle the rent payments and the bad credit was caused by a temporary setback, you may find a sympathetic landlord.