I'm trying to rent an apartment. Having problems.

[maveric]

A credit blotch from 8-10 years ago is showing up, even though I took care of it years ago.
The place I liked is by the beach in San Diego. They require a 6 month lease. No problem but my credit report came back "Fair". I offered to pay the 6 months up front, plus a double security deposit. They still wont consider my application. Now I've been living in the same rental unit for 7 years and have always paid my rent on time. Prior to that I owned three homes from 1980-1999. The last home was the problem due to a divorce and late payments. We sold the home in 99 and all was supposed to be OK.

I cant see the problem due to my ability to pay the WHOLE LEASE amount up front and the double security deposit. I asked them why they wouldnt consider my application and they told me that they dont take money up front.

Can you give me an idea why they wouldnt take the money for the full lease? It would be all paid and assured.

Any landlords or realtors here on DU that could help me with this?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. I don't know you at all, so this is just a guess, but perhaps they have

simply taken a dislike to you personally for whatever reason and are using the credit report as an excuse.

If you keep running into the same problem with other landlords, then I don't know what's going on.

I had no trouble renting in Minneapolis, despite a bankruptcy within the past ten years.

[maveric]

6. I spoke to them by phone and thats the first thing they threw in my face.

I was honest when I told them about my credit report.

[Deja Q]

2. I only know that one's credit rating is used harshly and for many things

not related TO credit (including rent, insurance premiums, EMPLOYMENT - just how do you get a job to PAY the bills? This has happened to me and the excuse is that I'm not responsible as a worker because my non-work-related credit score wasn't perfect... Maybe they should check my employment history and then shove a wooden stake up their ass...).

What bothers me is how an old acquaintance, who had declared bankruptcy and divorced (he was the one responsible for needing to declare bankruptcy), could easily get an apartment on his own despite it all...

It's a funny old world.

And with luck, we'll be as nuked as my breakfast microwave popcorn in a few months' time.

[tjdee]

5. This is SUCH a big issue for me.

Apparently, the way you handle your credit is how you handle your life. If you can't pay your bills, it means you suck as a driver. It means you will run out on your rent. It means you can't work like another person.

Supposedly.

What a crock of shit!

And actually those who declare bankruptcy have it slightly easier for whatever reason. I was recommended against bankruptcy AGAIN. :eyes:
I am, apparently, exceedingly lucky to have gotten a job and a (crappy used) car, a place to live a few years agao, because I would be able to do none of those things now.

:grr:

[maveric]

7. I had late mortgage payments for 6 months when my ex left me..

with 3 kids, car and credit card payments, which SHE ran up when she split. My wages were garnished for a year to pay them off. That was nine years ago.
Becuase of that I'll have to be homeless even though I can pay the entire lease + upfront?
What are they scared of?

[tjdee]

8. That they can get a better deal on someone who isn't a "risk"?

:shrug:
I can't imagine they'll get someone else who pays the entire lease in advance, though!

maveric, I'm so sorry for the situation you're in, it doesn't make any sense that they're behaving this way. Even if you are a "bad risk" because of debts years old (that you paid!).

I have to wonder if LynneSin's right that they are using this as an excuse for other problems they have?

It is a shame. I know for a fact if I tried to get an apt. now I'd have a problem--I guess me and my kid could always live in the ghetto, where the landlords don't do high tech stuff like credit checks. :eyes:

How do people expect you to move forward with your life? Bad credit is almost worse than being a criminal!

[maveric]

10. How would I be considered a risk if I pay the whole lease up front?

Plus a double security deposit! It would all be secure and paid for.
Damn, I hate the way this country is leaning towards.
Landlordism!

[radwriter0555]

16. Maveric, this one isn't meant to be, however, you can get that derogatory

removed from your credit report by sending all the credit reporting agencies a short, business-like letter demanding politely that they remove it within 30 days, please.

This will help you next time, I don't believe this should be on your report at all, if it was 9 years ago.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. I thought they could only go back 7 years

[China_cat]

19. Things like that are supposed to age off your credit

report in 7 years. Since you were turned down, you're eligible for a free copy of your report from all 3 agencies. Get them and do some disputing. I did when I found derogatory items that were fixed/paid/taken care of/never existed in the first place and it helped our credit score a lot.

[flvegan]

3. "They" I trust, is a property management company?

Not the owner of the property, but the management company is saying "no" I'm assuming. If that's the case, find out who owns the place (their boss) via the Property Appraiser and either tell the management co. that you'll just call the owner, since they can't seem to realize a good deal, OR, actually call the owner.

Again, I'm assuming. I do so simply because many mgmt companies see a credit score and knee-jerk the denial.

[LeftyMom]

4. They don't want to take money up front because it makes it harder to evict

(of course, so does a lease. I hate leases.) Can you get your credit report corrected?

It's a crappy market right now, generally only really upscale properties are super picky about credit. If you keep having this problem look into smaller self-managed companies, or small properties where you deal directly with the owner, they tend to be more flexible than big corporate properties or places with contract management.

-LM, who manages rental property when she isn't DUing.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Can you write to the credit reporting bureaus?

If you put a letter on file as to why you had these issues, perhaps they can take the necessary action to remove these negative things from your credit history.

[maveric]

11. I'm working on that right now.

[GOPisEvil]

12. I had to write some BS letters when I was buying my house.

I don't even remember the circumstances of why I had some late payments, and the credit cards were totally paid up, but they wanted a letter, so a letter they got. :shrug:

[politicat]

13. Apply someplace else.

Despite the fair housing act, people still use whatever they can to discriminate - be it on religion, race, gender, whatever.

Find a local owner, not a management company. If they're this difficult to get into, you don't want to be dealing with them when the sink starts dripping or the toilet overflows.

[henslee]

15. You are right about this. Management companies are the worst.

They crap up the owners... and the renters.

[cssmall]

17. You know what?

Everywhere I've leased from has only checked my rentor's credit, which is pristine. I don't really understand what the fucking deal is with paying the fucking thing ahead of time. :eyes: What a bunch of pricks.

[AtomicKitten]

18. My advice is to keep looking.

It took us 2-1/2 months to find our place in SF. We looked at all kinds of places. We have pets.
There are a brazilian reasons why you didn't get the nod, and it will differ from place to place. But if you hang in there, you will find a match.

[mwooldri]

20. Only advice I can give is try rent directly from the owner.

I am so blessed to have a very understanding landlady. She owns the house we live in, we deal directly with her, I pay her cash in a month-to-month arrangement with one month in advance. Admittedly we're in a considered hard-to-rent property but it suits us, it's not in the ritzy part of town but it's not in the worst part either. Although our rental contract says the rent is due on the 1st of each month she's OK about a few days late. She's even great about being a little late 1 month but paying another 3 months ahead of time. I was up front to her about our BK - she didn't even care. She knows that she's going to get the rent from us, if we have problems she knows I am going to tell her, and she knows that I can deal with our neighbor from hell quite easily. (Our neighbor is the main reason it's hard to rent, but let's say I "fixed" that problem, or rather my niece did!).

Problem is the glitzy places are managed, the non-glitzy places like ours are self-managed.

Mark.

[jmm]

21. I had problems trying to rent my current place.

I had a dispute with Sears awhile ago so even though I've always had a great credit score there were some negative comments that had never been removed from my report. Luckily the realtor was understanding. He said there was a hierarchy they go by with utilities and major credit cards (Sears is considered a major card which is why they denied me at first) on top and student loans at the bottom. So basically I could've been late and missed numerous student loan payments and would've had no trouble but because of the comments Sears put on my report after they made errors on my account I was considered a bad risk.

I think the person who said they won't take the money up front because it would make it difficult for them to evict you is correct. Also they might have local laws against it. I know in MA they're not suppose to charge more than a month's rent for a security deposit. Since most deposits are a month's rent taking twice that would be blatantly illegal.

They're most likely denying you for some other reason they don't want to admit to. It could be anything from your income and work history to they just want tenants they can walk all over.

[ET Awful]

22. I have horrible credit, and I've only been turned down one time for an

apartment. It was at some hoity-toity place in the San Fernando Valley. That same afternoon, I went to a different apartment complex 2 blocks away, equally nice, but not as new, had it approved within minutes.

[Thtwudbeme]

23. Do they think you are only going to stay there

for 6 months?

Seriously...these people sound like jackasses. I would look somewhere else.

If they are this bad trying to get IN, just imagine the entertainment when something goes wrong, and you need a repairman to come out. I wouldn't deal with them at all anymore.