How do I rent an apartment with bad credit?

Start by seeing what a landlord will see. Your credit reports from all three bureaus are free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only official site. Landlords often buy a separate tenant screening report too, and you're entitled to a free copy of that and to dispute mistakes.

Then give the landlord better evidence than a score: proof of steady income (many look for about three times the rent), twelve months of bank statements showing rent paid on time, and references from past landlords. A short, factual note about what happened and what's changed helps more than a long apology.

If that isn't enough, offer a co-signer with good credit or a larger deposit — but check your state's deposit limit first. Be wary of anyone charging to fix your credit: under federal law credit repair companies can't take payment before they've done the work, and nobody can remove accurate information. Everything they do, you can do yourself for free.

Source: FTC, How to Fix Your Credit File; CFPB, tenant screening and credit report disputes · Checked October 2026