Property Manager – Granada Hills
Do Credit Scores Affect Renting?
Potential landlords or leasing agents run credit checks on potential applicants to help evaluate that individual’s financial situation. Your credit score is like a financial report card, and it’s used to determine how financially responsible you’ve been in the past.
It may feel unfair, especially if you’ve worked hard to get yourself out of debt but your credit score hasn’t yet recovered. But put yourself in the landlord’s or leasing company’s shoes: their rental property is a business, and renting to someone with a low credit score appears more risky than renting to someone with a good credit score.
Using a credit score to determine the likelihood of a potential tenant paying rent in full, on time, and throughout the life of the lease is not a personal attack. It’s simply a business decision.
Most individuals or companies renting an apartment want credit scores from applicants to be 620 or higher. People with credit scores lower than 620 may indicate a high risk of default on rent owed.
A lower credit score could mean you’re less likely to be approved for the rental you want, especially if you’re looking to rent in a popular area. If 10 other people apply for the apartment, it makes good financial sense for the landlord to accept a person with a higher credit score.
A low credit score does not mean you won’t get approved at all. You can still rent an apartment with poor credit. Here’s the potential difference: landlords may not base a decision off at the exact number associated with your credit score, but at the cause of your bad credit.
If you have unpaid items, late payments, or garnishments, you might send up a red flag. They indicate that you may not pay rent when it’s due or reliably every month. On the other hand, if you have consumer, medical, or student loan debt but make your payments on time, a low credit score may not be viewed with such a critical eye.
From: http://blog.readyforzero.com/
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