It's simply a business decision. Most individuals or companies renting an apartment want credit scores from applicants to be 620 or higher. People with credit scores lower than 620 may indicate a high risk of default on rent owed.
When you apply to rent an apartment, you can expect nearly all landlords to run a credit check. As a general rule, you'll want a credit score of 620 or higher to secure a rental. But there's no hard and fast number: it varies by landlord, and it's only one factor in your rental application.
What Credit Score Do You Need To Rent an Apartment? While a FICO credit score from 580-669 is considered fair credit, 620 is often the minimum credit score you'll need to rent an apartment. If your score is lower than 620, it could be more difficult to rent an apartment.
Typically, tenants need a credit score of 650 or higher. If you have a score of 500, we recommend that you co-sign with someone with higher credit or apply for no credit check apartments.
So, we posed this question—what credit score do you need to rent out an apartment? —to 15 experts. Most agreed that you need a credit score of at least 650 to snag an apartment without any additional hurdles, like extra deposits, guarantors, or paying extra months of rent in advance.
A FICO score of 650 is considered fair—better than poor, but less than good. It falls below the national average FICO® Score of 710, and solidly within the fair score range of 580 to 669.
Apartment Credit Scores
Typically, a credit score of 620 or above will enable you to obtain an apartment lease with relatively little trouble. Apartment leasing sources state that credit scores lower than 620 receive a "high risk of default" rating along with a leasing denial.
Most individuals or companies renting an apartment want credit scores from applicants to be 620 or higher. People with credit scores lower than 620 may indicate a high risk of default on rent owed.
Renting. In general, landlords breathe easier when a renter has a credit score over 700. However, a credit score over 650 generally is high enough to win over landlords. It all comes down to your competition, since a landlord may select an applicant with a better score over you.
A 567 credit score is a poor credit score. It makes it very difficult to qualify for credit or even apply for an apartment but it can absolutely be improved.
Most individuals or companies renting an apartment want credit scores from applicants to be 620 or higher. People with credit scores lower than 620 may indicate they are a high risk renter.
It will take about six months of credit activity to establish enough history for a FICO credit score, which is used in 90% of lending decisions. 1 FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, and a score of over 700 is considered a good credit score. Scores over 800 are considered excellent.
In short, yes! A credit score of 500 is low, but it's not insurmountable. It would be best if you planned some extra time for your apartment hunt with scores this low, but you can still rent an apartment. It will take some extra planning, though.
Is Bad Credit an Automatic Rejection? By most landlords' standards, the minimum credit score to rent an apartment is 620. But many landlords look past the credit score and search for specific activity on a potential tenant's credit report.
Since most credit checks for renting are considered soft checks, they won't negatively impact your credit score. The FICO® credit-scoring model, one of the most popular credit scores, ignores inquiries made within 30 days of scoring.
That said, the ideal score depends on several factors, including your local rental market and whether you're renting in a luxury building. According to a 2017 survey report from RentCafe, the average credit score of approved applicants was 650, while the average credit score of rejected applicants was 538.
681 is a good credit score. Scores in this range are high enough to get most types of credit, but you won't qualify for the best interest rates.
If you research this further online, you'll likely find mentions of landlords wanting minimum credit scores of 600 or 620. According to FICO, the company behind the most widely used scoring systems, those scores are within the “fair” credit range. That's a bit below average.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 580 to 669, considered Fair. A 639 FICO® Score is below the average credit score. Some lenders see consumers with scores in the Fair range as having unfavorable credit, and may decline their credit applications.
A 547 credit score is a poor credit score. It makes it very difficult to qualify for credit or even apply for an apartment but it can absolutely be improved.
A FICO® Score of 685 falls within a span of scores, from 670 to 739, that are categorized as Good. The average U.S. FICO® Score, 711, falls within the Good range.
A FICO® Score of 657 places you within a population of consumers whose credit may be seen as Fair. Your 657 FICO® Score is lower than the average U.S. credit score. Statistically speaking, 28% of consumers with credit scores in the Fair range are likely to become seriously delinquent in the future.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 580 to 669, considered Fair. A 600 FICO® Score is below the average credit score. Some lenders see consumers with scores in the Fair range as having unfavorable credit, and may decline their credit applications.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 570 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score.