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Credit reports and credit scores permeate more facets of life than you might think. Landlords, for one, typically check credit when trying to decide who to lease their apartments to. So, yes, if you have a big, juicy error on one of your credit reports, it could cost you a truly awesome—and affordable—housing.
Fortunately, you can get this error addressed before you start searching for some new digs. Unfortunately, it may take a bit more legwork than you think.
What’s a specialty credit report?
Specialty reports typically list property rental addresses for the previous seven years, rental payment performance history (i.e., on time, late, delinquent), average length of past rentals, pet ownership, cleanliness of living conditions, reason for renting (e.g., foreclosure or never owned a home), civil court records, criminal background check, financial credit reports, past evictions, tenant history scores, and lease risk scores.
So, if you find yourself consistently losing out on a great place, it may be time to do some deeper digging.
So what do I do?
It’s not a bad idea to pull all three versions of your credit report from the three major credit-reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—ahead of your apartment search. You don’t want errors on these anyway, and, as mentioned, there is a chance a landlord will look at one of these reports to assess your ability to pay rent as agreed. (You can pull your credit reports for free each year at AnnualCreditReport.com and view your credit scores for free each month on Credit.com.)
If you do spot an inaccuracy, make sure to dispute it with the credit bureau in question. You can send a dispute letter by mail or file one online.
You might also want to see if you can track down one of your specialty renters’ reports. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are entitled to a free copy from each bureau once a year. Here’s a list of the major players.
- Contemporary Information Corporation
800-288-4757 (option 5) - CoreLogic SafeRent
888-333-2413 - Experian RentBureau
877-704-4519 - First Advantage Corporation Resident History Report
888-215-3727 - LeasingDesk by Real Page
866-934-1124 - Screening Reports
866-389-4042 - Tenant Data Services
800-228-1837 (option 6) - TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions
888-387-1750
Again, if you spot an error, be sure to dispute it with the agency. Information on how to do so should be available on your report or the company’s website.
Remember, too, if you are denied an apartment due to bad credit, a landlord is required to give you a copy of the report they used in their decision-making process, so, at the very least, you should be able to spot an error from there. You could also potentially ask the landlord ahead of time what bureau he is getting the credit report from. That may not give you enough time to address any issues to score that particular place to live, but it could help you prevent problems in the future.
And, if you learn your credit is in rough shape due to legitimate negative information, there are steps you can take to fix your credit. You can build solid credit, specialty or otherwise, in the long term by paying all bills on time (including your rent!), keeping debt levels low, and limiting new credit inquiries while your score rebounds.
Content Courtesy of Realtor.com
—
James Silver
Associate Broker | Team Leader
The James Silver Team in Michigan & Florida
248.530.7292 | JamesSilver@KW.com
www.JamesSilverTeam.com
