Searching for an apartment is already stressful enough without having to worry about whether your rental history or credit report will disqualify you. Perhaps you’ve already been turned down at a place you actually liked and wanted to live at. If you have some rental debt or marks on your record from a previous rental, finding a place to live in Austin may seem daunting task given the complex rental criteria from the different property managers throughout the area. Don’t worry though, there are still options available if you’re willing to work with an Austin apartment locator to navigate these issues.
Using our free apartment locator service can help save you time and money when trying to locate apartments that accept applicants with rental debt. Our service compiles listings from over a dozen major rental sites and local Austin property managers together with our local knowledge of which properties allow property debt up to $1500. We then filter those listings to highlight apartments that work with all budgets and credit situations and can even locate a place that accepts evictions and broken leases with property debt less than 2 years old! While you’ll have more choices if the rental debt is over 2 we can quickly show you appropriate available apartment units without you having to submit and loose multiple application fees!
Why Rental Debt Shows Up on Your Credit
Before we discuss how to find Austin apartments that accept tenants with rental debt, it’s important to understand why you may have rental debt in the first place. Some common reasons include:
- Unexpected life events like job loss or medical issues that caused you to fall behind on rent payments.
- Didn’t provide a 30 day notice or move-out to soon and forgot to pay the last few days of rent
- Errors by the rental company or confusion on the total amount owed
- Fees related to breaking a lease early or rental property damages
Regardless of the specifics of your situation transpired, having rental debt can make securing your next apartment difficult despite your best efforts to get back on track.
Local Expert Tips for Apartment Hunting with Rental Debt
If you have rental debt or property debt showing up on your credit report, here are some useful tips to improve your chances of approval:
- Save up more for your deposit and first month’s rent: Coming with extra savings shows the new landlord you are serious and financially prepared. Be ready to provide documentation for income with W2 employer docs, tax returns or an employer offer letter. Aim for having at least 2x the normal deposit amount ready. Example, rent is $1600. Expect to provide an additional depoist of $1600.
- Gather previous landlord references or explanations: Being able to explain the context around your rental debt helps landlords understand your situation better if they are on the fence. References can also highlight positive aspects from previous rentals.
- Offer to put utilities in your name: This shows commitment to paying all your housing expenses going forward.
- Apply to individual landlords: Big apartment complexes tend to have strict credit score requirements. Privately owned units typically have more flexibility but you’ll still undergoe credit and background screening so be sure to tell the landlord upfront or face the possiblity of paying that application fee and loosing out once again.
Taking these proactive steps in addition to using our free rental locator service in Austin for apartments that accept previous property debts will help you secure your perfect new Austin apartment without a denial.
Try an Apartment Locator on for Size
As mentioned, our complimentary service was created specifically to match renters to Austin apartments that accept applicants despite credit issues, broken leases, evictions and rental debt. We provide up-to-date listings of available units where the landlords understand circumstances happen and are compassionate to them.
The benefits of using our rental locator include:
- No fee for services – we are paid by the apartment community.
- We negotiate discounts and specials to help you save money by looking for the best move-in specials, reduced applicaition fees and/or reduce admin fees.
Our goal is to give you the honest truth on your approval odds so you don’t waste time or money applying to apartments where you will almost certainly get denied. Ross Quade, a top performing apartment locator with Perch Realty has personally gotten clients accepted with more than 2 evictions on their record with property debt up to $2800.
