If you are looking for a new apartment, here are a few things to do to find a place to rent. Before submitting your rental application, you should check your credit report. Getting a roommate is an excellent way to lower your monthly payment, but if you have trouble proving your income, you may need a co-signer. These tips can make the process a lot easier.
Check your credit report before submitting a rental application
Before you apply for Philadelphia apartments for rent, you should know what will be on your credit report. If you do not have a credit report, you can ask your landlord to pull it before you apply. Apartment complexes run credit checks on prospective tenants to determine whether they are reliable renters. Your credit report shows landlords what debts you have paid off and what you have missed in the past. They may ask for further details about your past financial obligations before you apply.
Many landlords and agents will perform a credit check on prospective tenants. These inquiries can damage an applicant’s credit score, which is why many prospective tenants refuse to allow their landlords to run a credit check on them. You can ask them to send you your credit report yourself or provide the agency with your credit report if they are unsure about whether you are responsible enough to pay the rent. While this may seem like a big hassle, it is completely legal and you are in your right to do it.
Getting a roommate in an apartment
Before you sign any lease for an apartment, you should check your potential roommate’s credentials. Although you are obligated to pay a portion of the rent, you may not have to share the apartment with this person. If you can meet them face to face, even better! You can also reach out to your friends and acquaintances to find a suitable roommate. Always remember to get references from previous roommates and landlords. Doing a background check can prevent you from renting out your space to an unreliable person.
Before deciding on a roommate, conduct a personal interview. If possible, invite the roommate to meet you in public, because it’s safer than doing it in a private setting. Make sure to ask them some personal questions about themselves. Ask them how long they’ve lived in their current place and why they’re looking to move. If they’re unsure, ask for a background check and a credit report.
Getting a co-signer
If you’re planning on renting an apartment, you may need a co-signer. Your co-signer can be a friend, relative, or significant other who you trust to pay the rent. Make sure that your co-signer is financially responsible and can trust you to keep the apartment payments on time. However, if things go wrong, your co-signer could risk damaging your relationship.
As a landlord, accepting a co-signer is a way to fill a vacancy and protect yourself from the risk of non-payment. In addition to protecting your rental income, accepting a co-signer also allows you to be more flexible in your rental criteria. For example, college students and younger renters are unlikely to have a strong credit history, and a co-signer will open doors for them when you’re denied.
Another advantage of obtaining a co-signer is the ease of application. A co-signer can relieve you of stress, as they act as an insurance policy for the landlord. Every landlord has their own selection criteria for renting an apartment, and they often focus a great deal of attention on an applicant’s credit score. In some cases, they even check an applicant’s credit score to make sure they don’t have a history of late payments.
