Less Than Perfect Credit Scores and Living Situations.

Many families deal with tough situations when it comes to rentals and the landlords that come with them. According to the Business Insider, more Americans are renting than at any time in the last 50 years.  I can recall a time when I rented a home that had mice so big, that even the neighborhood cats didn’t try to catch them. My roommate and I had to put our fear and phobias aside and get rid of all the mice on our own. Maybe this is your current situation now, and your credit scores are forcing you to rent.

Are you currently living a rental nightmare?

At some point I lost track of the number of mice we ended up finding and shortly after, we were able to end our lease. Such is not always the case. Breaking a lease can be extremely difficult and some landlords are not as understanding. After many times of reaching out to our landlord with little to no help, we figured out a few things:

1. Slumlords, as we call them, are only interested in the rent being turned in on time. (No, not all landlords are this ruthless, but you find while renting that few really care about the tenants residing in them).
2. Quick fixes and patch jobs are ways they are able to make temporary fixes at little to no cost to them.
3. With the demand and price being very high for a place to live, the quality of homes can be very, very low.
4. Whether you are renting in a college town or a nice area in the suburbs, you meet less than perfect landlords. It is bound to happen!

So why are people renting more now, than they ever have?

These are just a few of the pain points that have been expressed:

1. Poor/Bad credit-The inability to get approved for a home loan/mortgage.
2. Lack of excess funds-Unable to make the down payment or fix things in the house once it is purchased.
3. Lower expenses-Included in rent such as water or electric in most cases.

These are just a few reasons why more people are currently renting. If you are in a position where renting is your only option, here are three things to take into consideration in an effort to make a change:

1. Look into your state laws and know your rights as a tenant. Is your landlord hard to get in touch with? Do they fail to repair things in a timely manor? Each state has their own requirements when it comes to repairs on a rental. There is such thing as ‘repair and deduct’ which just means if you as the tenant pay for a repair, it can be documented and deducted from the rent. The landlord must know about the problem and it must be proven that the landlord failed to repair it within a reasonable time. If you are dealing with a lazy landlord or one that is hard to get in touch with, this may be something you deal with. Continue to reach out and attempt to communicate with them via email/phone. Document everything that happens and try to keep everything in text and email so there is written communication.
2. Credit Repair with a Law Firm: A bad rental situation may have you interested in looking into buying a home. With a poor credit score, you may be far off from moving if you don’t take action now. With attorney-based credit repair, you can expect to see results between 30-180 days.  If you are unsure of what your current credit score is, you can pull a credit report here. Talk to a Credit Advisor today about what you can do to get out of your current rental and into your own home soon.

If low credit scores are keeping you from improving your living situation, please contact us today for a free credit consultation. We have helped over 30,000 clients improve their scores. Let us get you back on the path toward financial freedom.