How to Find a Lease With a Chapter 13
- 1). Work at least three to six months, ideally, at a job that pays two to three times your monthly rent before applying for a lease. Property managers and landlords take your current employment situation into consideration when reviewing your rental application -- they see you as less of a risk if you have consistent income.
- 2). Save up money beyond the initial deposit requirements. Some landlords and property managers rent to bankrupts, but only if you pay extra security.
- 3). Pull your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus -- Experian, TransUnion and Equifax -- and correct any errors with your creditors and the bureaus.
- 4). Gather documentation aside from your credit report that verifies your income and expenditures, as well as your payment history. Examples include bank and credit card statements and utility bills.
- 5). Request letters of recommendation from previous landlords. Ask them to verify, in writing, that you paid rent consistently. Have them include the dates you rented and the amount you paid.
- 6). Search for available properties in your local newspaper or online apartment and home rental websites. Hunt for properties advertising specials, as property managers and landlords usually offer specials only when they are seriously looking to increase occupancy. Write down the addresses and phone numbers for the properties.
- 7). Review the properties you found through online sites, the Better Business Bureau or word of mouth through your community. Eliminate properties with poor reputations -- your bankruptcy doesn't mean you have to put up with poor management, an unsafe dwelling or a crime-ridden neighborhood.
- 8). Call each property and ask what their policy on bankruptcy is. Cross the properties whose policies don't allow bankrupts to apply off your list. Schedule showings at the properties that will work with bankrupts.
- 9). Arrive at your showings on time, dressed professionally. Present yourself as well-organized and serious about the rental. Present a corrected copy of credit reports and your other documentation to the landlord or property manager to show you're rebuilding your credit after the bankruptcy. Offer extra security only if the property or landlord specifically states the extra security is necessary to apply, or if she still seems hesitant to rent to you despite your documentation.
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