Every day, many people are looking for an apartment, condo, or home to rent. In most cases, the landlord of the property will more than likely give you an application to fill out and charge an application fee as well. With so many people applying for the same complex or units, there are a list of things landlords look for specifically in a credit report.

1. Previous Eviction Or Civil Judgement
Since there is no guarantee that a person will pay rent each month, the best option is to see if they have left another landlord with an open unpaid balance. This will only show if the previous landlord took the tenant to court and sued them for the amount owed. In this case it would show up on the credit report as a Civil Judgement under the Public Record section on a credit report. Public Records are one of the most damaging things that can decrease a credit score. If a landlord can see that this has happened to a previous tenant, they will more than likely decline the application for the potential tenant.

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2. Wage Garnishment
If a potential tenant is in the market for an apartment but you have an account that is in a wage garnishment status, you better believe you will increase your chances of getting denied for that apartment. The reason is simple. It lowers your monthly income and shows poor debt and credit management. The best practice for this situation is to contact the company that is taking the money from you and set up a payment plan that will keep them from garnishing your wages. Even if the company garnished your wages prior to the payment plan, it shows that you at least care about the debt accumulated and that you are looking to pay it back.

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3. Child Support, Tax Lien, or Bankruptcy
On a credit report, the most devastating item you can get is a Public Record. A Public Record is something that takes time to show on your credit report and show ultimate neglect with a personal matter. For example, if you have Child Support that is behind for years, also known as being in the “rears”, then this later becomes a public record. Public Records are what they say they are, records that the public has access to. All they need is the case number associated with the record and a little free tool called Google. Either way, landlords dislike this as it potentially can create bigger problems such as wage garnishment, a lawsuit, or jail time. Not to mention is shows neglect on paying on what’s due.

The Bottom Line
Now you know what to expect when applying for an apartment. This article was made simply to point out what matters the most on a credit report to a landlord. This does not mean you should not apply, but before you pay that apartment application fee, be sure to ask questions regarding the items mentioned in this article. You will be surprised to find that some landlords may not care about certain items but it helps to be upfront before the report is obtained and the non refundable fee is paid. I hope this article helps you or someone you know that may benefit from the information provided.