What Credit Score Do You Need to Rent an Apartment?
5 Min Read | Last updated: June 16, 2025
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Renting an apartment may require a good credit score, but landlord criteria can vary. Learn what influences your approval and how to boost your score.
At-A-Glance
- The type of credit that you’ll need to rent an apartment will vary, depending on the landlord or rental agency, their requirements, and the type of credit check that they do.
- While it varies, having a minimum credit score of 670 may help to boost your chances of approval.1
- Besides credit score, your credit history, rental history, and income may also be important factors in the approval equation.
If you’re thinking about getting your first apartment, you might not know that your credit score could play a role: many landlords or leasing offices choose to run a credit check to get a sense of whether they can expect you to pay your rent. So what’s the best credit score range for renting an apartment? And what can you do if you have a subpar credit score, or no credit history at all?
What Credit Score Do You Need to Rent an Apartment?
A minimum credit score of 670, or a rating of “good” on the FICO scale, is a common benchmark for landlords since it reflects a history of responsible credit management.2 However, this varies considerably from location to location and will vary, depending on the landlord.
Renters in high-demand areas can benefit from having a higher credit score, but each landlord or property management company will have its own criteria in place. But it can be the case that the higher your credit score, the better your chances of approval.
Not sure what your credit score is? You can check it for free with American Express® MyCredit Guide.
Why Does Credit Matter When Renting an Apartment?
Your credit score can affect the likelihood of being approved for an apartment because the higher your score, the lower your risk profile. Your history of on-time credit payments, for example, makes up a large portion of your credit score, signaling to landlords that you may be more likely to pay your rent on time, too.
But your credit score is often just a starting point for landlords. They also might check your income or obtain your credit report to get a glimpse into your past debts. Having defaulted accounts or debts in collections may make it more challenging to rent an apartment.3
How Landlords Might Check Your Credit
A potential landlord could check your credit in a number of different ways. For instance, they might opt to simply check your credit score. Meanwhile, others could opt to run a more thorough check. Depending on the type of screening, or screening service used, it may result in either a soft or a hard credit check.4
Note that each time someone runs a hard credit check, you might see your credit score dip. This means that applying for multiple apartments, all with landlords who check your credit, could have a temporary negative impact on your credit score, so applying for fewer places may be healthier for your credit report.5
The Benefits of Having Good Credit When Renting
There are several benefits of having a good credit score as you look for your next apartment.
- Wider Range of Available Rentals
Having a good credit score may mean you can look at more apartments at various price ranges. You may be eligible to rent a nicer apartment or one that’s a bit larger if you can prove your creditworthiness to a potential landlord. - Increased Likelihood of Approval
Applicants with higher credit scores may be more likely to be approved for an apartment. Landlords may view you as a better prospective tenant if you have a track record of paying bills on time. - Power to Negotiate Better Lease Terms
Having a higher credit score may give you flexibility to negotiate better lease terms. For example, you may be able to request a lower security deposit or add an option to rent month to month at the end of the lease.
Getting Your First Apartment With No Credit or Poor Credit
It’s possible to rent your first apartment even if you have no credit (or if you have poor credit), but you might have to adjust your expectations or put in a little extra work. Here are a few ways you may be able to increase your chances of approval.
- Get a Roommate
Signing a lease with another person spreads the burden of responsibility and can improve your chances of approval, as long as your roommate is financially responsible and has a strong credit history. Splitting rent can also be cost-effective. Note that not all rentals allow roommates, so be sure to check the criteria first. - Use a Cosigner
If you’re struggling to get approved due to your limited credit history, you could consider asking a close friend or family member to cosign the lease as an added layer of assurance. Your cosigner should have a strong credit history for it to help increase your odds of approval.6 - Consider Paying Extra
If you have limited credit but a lot of savings, making a larger security deposit or paying a few months of rent in advance may give the landlord peace of mind. - Provide References
Letters of recommendation from reliable sources like employers and business associates can help demonstrate your credibility. Similarly, proof of employment, such as pay stubs that go back several months, can prove you have a source of steady income.
Improve Your Credit Score to Rent an Apartment
Building your credit can take time, but good credit can be necessary for achieving certain financial goals like renting an apartment. Fortunately, there are many ways to build your credit, including:
- Check your credit report regularly for errors or mistakes.
- Make credit card or other debt payments on time and in full.
- Keep credit utilization low (the amount of debt you have compared to available credit).
- Only apply for the credit you need and avoid submitting too many credit applications in a short time.
While they can be important, it’s worth noting that credit scores and credit history aren’t always crucial for renting an apartment. In places with lower demand for rentals, you might find that some landlords are more lenient. However, renting an apartment in a high-demand area means that your credit score, and other factors, could play a major role.
Frequently Asked Questions
You cannot self-report information to the credit bureaus. However, there are third-party services that you can use to report rent payments and utilities.
While breaking a lease isn’t something that appears on a credit report, keep in mind that if debts are incurred, it may still impact your credit.
Whether a 600 credit score is good enough to rent depends on the landlord or rental property management company you want to rent from. Check with your landlord to confirm the acceptable credit score range for the properties you’re interested in renting. Remember that other factors are also likely to play a part.
While evictions don’t appear on credit reports, if non-payment led to a collection account, then that could appear on your report and may remain there for seven years.7
The Takeaway
If you’re looking to rent an apartment, it’s important to know that many landlords factor credit score and credit history into their decision-making process. While a higher credit score can potentially work in your favor, you may have options even if your credit isn’t perfect.
1,2 “Credit needed to rent: Understanding requirements for tenants,” Business Insider
3,6 “What Do Landlords Look for in a Credit Check?,” Experian
4 “Rental Credit Check: What to Expect,” NerdWallet
5 “How Renting Can Impact Your Credit,” TransUnion
6 “How to Get an Apartment With Bad Credit,” Experian
7 “How eviction can affect your credit,” Bankrate
Megan Doyle is a business technology writer and researcher whose work focuses on financial services and cross-cultural diversity and inclusion.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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