How to Rent an Apartment with No Credit

Renting an apartment without credit is a common problem for new immigrants and young adults.

For new immigrants, they don’t have any credit history when they move to the US.

And for young people like college students, when they finally graduate and move for their job, they face challenges with renting because they haven’t built a credit history until then.

Below we take a look at some of your options of how to get an apartment with no credit!

11 Tips to Get an Apartment with No Credit

Here are a few basic tips that you can apply to help you get an apartment with no credit:

1. Explain Your Situation
2. Show that You have No Credit Because You Have No Debt
3. Rent the Apartment from the Owner
4. Provide References
5. Prove Your Income
6. Get a Cosigner
7. Find a Roommate
8. Offer to Move in ASAP
9. Ask for a Month-to-Month Arrangement
10. Pay the First Few Month’s Rent Upfront
11. Provide a Larger Security Deposit or Rental Deposit

Each of these tips is explained in more detail below.

1. Explain Your Situation

If your potential landlord is wary about not giving you the apartment because you don’t have credit, explain to them why you don’t have credit. Explain the fact that you are a valid immigrant or visa holder and that you have not had a chance to build a credit report yet. Your reasons may make sense to them and will put them at ease.

2. Show that You have No Credit Because You Have No Debt

This slots in with our first point. Showing them your lack of debt to prove your lack of a credit report will substantiate your explanation. If you show them you still have to build credit in the U.S. and that your lack of credit score is not for some other dodgy reason or for not honoring past commitments, they could be willing to offer you a lease.

3. Rent the Apartment from the Owner

Apply and rent directly from the owner. You’ll waste too much time trying to convince too many people in the process if you don’t. Skip the apartments that are owned by large groups of people. They are most likely only concerned with your credit score. Apply to an owner with whom you can explain your situation directly.

4. Provide References

Providing references for your trustworthiness could convince your future landlord that you will honor your rent commitment despite your lack of credit score. Work colleagues or a manager can help to provide assurance.

5. Prove Your Income

Showing your future landlord that you have enough income available to pay the rent will certainly count in your favor. You should generally apply for places with a monthly rent that doesn’t exceed 30% of your monthly take-home pay. Enough savings for a few months of rent can also persuade the owner that you are a good pick.

6. Get a Cosigner

If the owners don’t want to budge on their credit score requirement, you can always find a cosigner to sign the lease with you. A friend or relative with a good credit score can offer their credit history as support for your application. This might give the owners the security they need. Just note your friend or relative will be liable for your rent payments whenever you default.

7. Find a Roommate

This will serve the same purpose as getting a cosigner. A roommate will share the rent and monthly utility bills’ responsibility with you. This will help to put the owner at ease as two people will be responsible for the monthly payments instead of just one.

8. Offer to Move in ASAP

Vacant property costs owners a lot of money as each month means they are losing potential income. Offering to move in immediately can help to convince an owner to give you the apartment. They’ll be able to make a rental income again as soon as your lease starts instead of having to wait for the perfect tenant with the right credit score to come around.

9. Ask for a Month-to-Month Arrangement

A month-to-month arrangement offers versatility to both the owner and the tenant. No one is locked into a long contract. The owner may not like the admin associated with a month-to-month agreement so they may ask a higher monthly rental payment. But, they get more cash and the option to end the agreement as soon as the month ends.

10. Pay the First Few Month’s Rent Upfront

Landlords are essentially running a business and every business needs positive cash flow. So offer to pay the first few months of rent in advance. The owner will definitely take your application seriously.

11. Provide a Larger Security Deposit or Rental Deposit

Here’s the best and most effective tip on how to get an apartment with no credit. Offer to pay a larger security deposit (also known as a rental deposit). This will both prove your income and state your commitment to the owner. The owner will also have security in case you end up not paying. Since a big part of the owner’s risk is mitigated, the chances are good that this might convince them to give you the apartment, despite your lack of credit score.

Stilt has built a rental hub portal to help people with no credit find rental apartments. Check out our rental hub and hope you find an apartment that you like and fits your needs.

Read More

• How to Remove Paid Collections from a Credit Report
• How to Get Approved for a Cell Phone with Bad Credit
• How Many Points Will My Credit Score Increase When I Pay Off Collections?
• How to Check Your Credit Score Without an SSN
• How to Remove Late Payments from a Credit Report
• Why Did My Credit Score Go Down When Nothing Changed?
• How Accurate is Credit Karma?
• Can You Be Denied a Job Because of Bad Credit?

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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