Sometimes life throws you a box of lemons. You lose a job, you forget a rent payment, you have a friend who accidentally damages your apartment – there are many scenarios sometimes out of your control that could negatively affect your rental history report.
If you have a history of not paying rent in full or on time, or have been evicted from an apartment, chances are your rental history report reflects these bad citations. And if you are looking for a new place to live – maybe because you’ve been evicted from your previous apartment – landlords who review rental history reports will immediately see these citations on your report.
There are some landlords who don’t check rental history reports, and they tend to be private individual homeowners rather than professional management companies. If you find your application being rejected by several management companies, consider looking for a private rental – usually a home – and working with the homeowner directly as a landlord.
It is a good idea to share your history with the landlord, and it allows you to give an explanation of the events that resulted in a negative report appearing your rental history. A landlord might still decide not to rent to you, but by providing your explanation, it gives the incident a human element that could encourage the landlord to give you a chance or a trial rental period.
Also be sure to check your rental history report to see what information is appearing in your background. Check it for accurate information and to determine if you need to provide any explanations to landlords when you’re submitting your application.
