Your rental history is an important component of your application for a new apartment. Landlords will review this to confirm that you are a trustworthy tenant who consistently pays their rent on time. Any type of negative rental history, including legal action taken as a result of a lease violation, can hurt your chances of approval. Although the reason for less-than-perfect rental history may be an anomaly it still doesn’t look great on paper.

Being approved for a lease when you have negative credit or an eviction on your record can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. In some circumstances, you might not need to reveal your bad rental history depending on how long the eviction stays on your rental history.

How Long Does Bad Rental History Stay On Your Record?

When a resident signs a lease, there are terms that both parties are agreeing upon. Different property management companies have different policies, and a resident must abide by the policies to remain in the apartment. If a resident fails to abide by the agreed-upon terms, legal action can be taken. If an eviction is the end-result of this action, it will stay listed on the resident’s record for up to seven years.

The most common reason evictions are requested involves failure to pay rent. Landlords can also seek legal action due to any other lease violation such as noise complaints, damage to the leased premises, or overoccupancy (allowing people to live in the apartment who are not listed on the lease agreement). However, if a resident follows the terms and agreement of the lease, then they aren’t at risk of being evicted.

When you begin the process of renting with an eviction or bad rental history on your record, consider a different approach to traditional apartment hunting. Regardless of how long an eviction stays on your rental history, it is possible to be approved for an apartment lease with bad rental history.

4 Ways to Start Renting With an Eviction In Your Past

1. Rent With a Forgiving Management Company

Not all property management companies require their residents to have a pristine rental history. Some landlords may offer customized leases tailored to unique financial situations, allowing the new resident to begin rebuilding his or her credit even with an eviction on record.

Whether you’re turning over a new leaf or getting back on your feet after a difficult time, Southern Management is here to support your journey. We offer conditional leases for qualified candidates. Our knowledgeable team members are more than happy to help you create a feasible financial plan that helps you save for an apartment or stay on track after moving in..

2. Comply with Evictions for a Private Eviction Record

When you apply for an apartment, most landlords will conduct a credit inquiry. This will uncover previous evictions; however, not all evictions are public-facing. Formal evictions become part of your public record. This means that an eviction judgment will show up on your credit file, but not every “eviction” is a matter of public record. If you complied with management’s request from your apartment and you did it prior to your eviction date, then no eviction officially occurred– hence no public eviction record.

So what does this mean? Essentially, if you relinquished possession of your apartment to your landlord and the move didn’t involve a representative from the court at your door, then you might not run into any eviction-related issues. If this is the case, make sure you have documentation of the date and time you returned your keys to the property manager. If you want to minimize the impact bad rental history has down the road, do everything in your power to avoid a court-involved eviction.

3. Prepay Your Rent

Prepaying can be an alternative if you aren’t able to find an apartment community that permits you to rent with poor rental history. Generally, in situations like these, you will be saving for an apartment so you can pay three to six months’ rent in advance. Of course, this will vary depending on the landlord’s requirements.

4. Get a Cosigner or Roommate

If you have bad rental history and have trouble finding an apartment that will approve you for a lease, consider renting with someone else or finding a cosigner. This way, a landlord isn’t only depending on your history, but will also take into account your roommate’s rental history or co-signer’s credit health.

A landlord might be reluctant to rent to someone with a bad rental history for fear that history will repeat itself. If you find a roommate with good credit or a family member willing to cosign for you, then your landlord might feel more confident moving forward. Keep in mind that a roommate or cosigner doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay your rent. Regardless of how you work it out, if your name is on the lease, you’re responsible for all terms outlined in that agreement.

Chat With Southern Management Today

Southern Management doesn’t fixate on how long bad rental history stays on your record. We’re more concerned with setting you up for success. Our team members pride themselves on being empathetic to and flexible with our customers.

We’re willing to go the extra mile to accommodate your needs — even if you have an eviction on your record. To learn more about our resident application process or ask questions about our 75 apartment communities, contact us today.