Application

• When you apply to rent a property, your landlord has the right to make an inquiry to your credit report to determine whether or not you are financially responsible enough to pay your rent each month. This is considered a "hard inquiry," which means that your score will drop a few points, since a hard inquiry is an indicator that you will be taking on more debt or financial responsibility.
  
  

Credit Score

• One of the ways your potential landlord will determine your credit history is by looking at your overall credit score. Scores greater than 720 are considered strong. If you don't know your credit score, you can order your report for free from the Annual Credit Report website (see Resources).
  
  

Credit History

• The other information landlords use in determining whether to rent you a property is your credit history, which includes whether you have regularly paid your bills, credit cards, loans and rent on time in the past. Timely payments and a low debt-to-credit ratio are the top two ways to earn a stellar credit score. Your credit history is also listed on your free credit report. If you find any errors, you should report them in writing to your creditor and the credit bureau, along with documentation of the discrepancy.
  
  

Considerations

• If your credit report isn't good enough to get into a rental, you may be able to use a co-signer or pay a higher deposit. Another option is to offer to pay several months' rent up front. Landlords want to know that they'll get paid each month, and if you want to rent a property badly you may be able to gain their trust by providing them with reassurance through a backup plan or up-front payments.