How to find no credit check apartments

Is it time to get your own place? Finding a new apartment to move into can be a lot of work, but it's even more difficult to find a place when you have poor credit or no credit at all. Although you might need to find an apartment quickly, it's also important to find a great apartment to live in that requires no credit check.

When you find no credit check apartments, you don't have to worry about them running your credit and turning you away because of your score or lack of. Once moved in, you can then begin to build your credit and prepare for a move in the future.

How can you find an apartment near you that doesn't require a credit check? How can you get around credit checks when needed? And, why do apartments check your credit score, to begin with?

You'll find the answers to all these questions and more in the guide below. Continue reading to understand everything there is to know about finding an apartment when you have poor credit or no credit at all!

Why Do Apartments Conduct Credit Checks?

Your credit score says a lot about you, financially speaking. Apartment landlords run credit checks before approving tenants to ensure the tenant will meet all of their tenant duties. The last thing a landlord wants to do is approve a tenant to live on their property but never receive rent on time or at all.

A credit score helps a landlord determine how dependable a tenant is or how likely they are to pay their rent and follow the rules of the lease. People with good credit have shown they're responsible with their money and make all payments on time. If a tenant has a history of not paying their debt, then this could hinder a landlord from approving an application.

With that being said, not everyone with poor or no credit is a bad tenant. Just because you don't have good credit doesn't mean you don't deserve a nice apartment to live in. Luckily there are some ways to get around it.

Here's what you need to know.

Speak With Friends, Co-Workers, and Family

The first step to take might be easier than you think. Start by speaking with friends, co-workers, and family members. These are the closest people to you and should be willing to help.

They might have some good ideas about places to check out that don't run credit checks. If you're looking for low-income housing, restricted income housing, or no credit check apartments, then these are the people you want to speak to first. There's a good chance that someone knows somebody who knows somebody who also needed an apartment with poor or no credit.

They can then pass this information on to you and give you a head start in the process.

Conduct Online Research

Your next step is to conduct online research. Start by searching for something along the lines of, "no credit check apartments near me." See what this brings up in your neighborhood.

You can also use different resources such as Rentlingo.com to help you find the type of apartment you're looking for and in the location that you desire as well. You'll start by making an account and then using the filters to help you find what you need.

Always remember to take your online research further than simply finding apartments near you. Once you find a few different ones, you should then look into each one. Check the reviews, look into the property management, consider the rent prices, and more.

Continue Your Hunt Offline

Your hunt for a no credit check apartment doesn't have to end online. Continue your hunt offline by printing out each apartment you're interested in and then visiting each one in person. Check out the neighborhood and sit down with the property manager or landlord of each complex.

Ask them if they run credit checks and explain your situation to them. If they do run credit checks (sometimes online information isn't always right), then you can even consider asking them for suggestions. They may know of another apartment where you'll have better luck.

Rent From a Private Owner

One great way to find an apartment for rent without a credit check is to rent from a private owner. Privately owned apartments with no credit check aren't too difficult to find either. You may want to start by searching for something along the lines of, " privately owned apartments no credit check near me."

Look in the classified section of your newspaper, look online, look anywhere you can for private owners searching for renters. These private owners normally have a unit for rent that they need to be rented out as soon as possible. In many cases, the property may have been vacant for a long period of time and the owner needs to find a tenant so they can pay their own bills.

For this reason, they may be laxer on credit checks. Look into what different privately owned apartments are in your area and schedule an appointment to sit down with the landlord.

Find a Co-Signer With Good Credit

If you have trouble finding an apartment you want that doesn't run credit checks, then consider another option: a co-signer with great credit. Co-signers with good credit will take the financial responsibility of your apartment if you weren't to pay. This will get you into an apartment with no credit because it's the person co-signing whose credit the apartment is looking at.

This person is basically saying that if you fail to pay your rent, then they'll pay the rent for you or suffer the consequences (a big hit on their own credit score). You can look to close friends and family members for possible co-signer options.

Move Into an Apartment With a Roommate

Another option you have is to move into an apartment with a roommate who has good credit. You can either find someone who's also looking to move into an apartment and move into a new place together or find someone who's already situated in their own apartment and is looking for a new roommate.

You can always be added to the lease if needed.

Offer Apartments More Money UpFront

If you can start saving money now, then do so. Put money aside each month until you have enough to cover a few months' rent in advance. Know how much the rent is for the apartment you want and then begin putting your money away.

You want to do this because you can offer the apartment more money upfront to make up for having a low credit score. If you can offer three months' rent at the time of signing the lease, then you just might have a deal. Just make sure you can continue to afford the rent and to pay all other months' rent on time.

Provide Apartments With Proof of Income

Everyone starts off with no credit. Unfortunately, having no credit is almost just as bad as having poor credit. There is a way to go around this though.

Provide the apartments with proof of income to prove you're working and make enough money to pay your rent each month. This could offset having no credit. You can bring in several paystubs or print out your bank statements as proof.

Another option is to have an employer write a letter for you.

Work Out a Month-to-Month Deal

There's always room for negotiation, right? Some apartments might work out a month-to-month deal with you, especially if they need to fill a unit quickly. Here's how it works.

You'll begin by paying on a month-to-month basis. That means no annual lease to sign. It also means if you fail to pay your rent for the month, the landlord can kick you out and refuse to renew you for a long-term lease.

This is your time to shine, so pay the rent on time (or even early) each month and prove to the landlord that you're a great tenant.

You Can Find No Credit Check Apartments Today

Having poor credit or no credit at all comes with its challenges. Moving into a new apartment is one of them. When you use all of the helpful information given in this guide above, however, you can find no credit check apartments today!

You can even find ways to work around having poor or no credit with apartments that do run checks when you keep this guide handy.

Are you a first-time renter? If so, then be sure to check out our first-time renter's apartment guide for some more awesome tips!

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