Being evicted from your Apartment or property can present some challenges in the future. Regardless of the reason behind the Eviction, it’s important to know what steps to take to be able to qualify for an apartment. If you’ve been evicted in the past, follow these steps that will guide you in renting with an eviction. 

How can I rent with an eviction?

To start, you should try to get your eviction removed from your rental history by working things out with your previous Landlord. If you were evicted due to owed rent, determine whether you can pay back the amount owed in exchange for the landlord erasing the eviction. If your eviction was due to circumstances beyond your control, such as a landlord who was unwilling to make necessary repairs or keep the unit up to the proper standard, you may be able to take legal action and get the eviction removed from your history. 

It’s important to try getting your eviction removed because your future landlord may disregard your application once they see an eviction in your rental history. To ensure your application isn’t quickly discarded, evaluate your own situation and see how you can resolve your past eviction. 

Be Upfront

In some cases, a landlord may be willing to overlook an eviction on a potential renter’s history if the renter is honest about what happened. For example, if you were in a difficult situation, such as job loss or a divorce, the landlord may be more understanding as to why you weren’t able to pay your rent. Evictions can also happen when renters fail to follow the rental agreement terms, cause excessive property damage, or receive too many complaints against them. Explaining the situation may help your case.

Work On Your Credit

Although an eviction doesn’t show up on a credit report, your credit history may show that a bill collector or landlord went after you for unpaid rent or a broken lease. Before you begin the application process for another rental, you may want to spend some time working on your credit to make yourself look more appealing and stable to a landlord. Pay your bills on time and lower the amount of outstanding debt on your record. A renter with a strong credit history and a high score could stand out among applicants as a financially responsible individual.  

Be Willing to Pay Higher Rent

Some landlords will accept renters with evictions on their record if the renter is willing to pay more. You may have to pay a higher deposit amount, which you can always get back at the end of your lease, or pre-pay several months of rent. Save up in advance of applying for units so you’re prepared if needed. Every landlord has the right to set up their own payment terms and regulations as long as they’re agreed upon by both parties and outlined in the lease agreement. 

Obtain References 

References help to establish the quality of your character, so including a former landlord or roommate as one of your references is especially helpful, as is including your employer who can emphasize your financial stability. 

After getting your references’ contact information, consider asking them to write reference letters about you that you can submit with your rental application. This way the landlord can see firsthand what type of renter you’ll be from people who know you personally. Though landlords typically follow up with references as a final step in the approval process, preemptively submitting reference letters can help you stand out. 

Consider a Guarantor

A guarantor, or co-signer on an apartment lease agreement, can also help increase your chances of being approved, even with an eviction on your record. If the co-signer is financially stable and can support you if a situation arises that requires assistance, the landlord may feel that you’re a stable renter and approve your application.

Finding Eviction Approved Apartments

Although most apartment locators don’t include a way to filter the search by “apartments that accept evictions,” using a location service can help you find more apartment options to expand your search capabilities. An apartment locating service may also be able to connect you with landlords who have accepted renters with evictions in the past. In the current renter-favored market, landlords may be more willing to overlook past evictions, especially given the economic environment. There’s no harm in applying for an apartment and explaining your rental history to a potential landlord; you never know what they might allow until you ask!

Understand Rental History and Background Checks

It’s rare to find apartments that don’t check rental history. Landlords usually perform a rental history and background checks on a renter, which is where the information about the eviction will come out. Some rental listings will specify whether the landlord requires a background check as part of the application process, so you may also want to apply filters in your housing search to find landlords that don’t require this step and may have eviction-approved apartments.

Stay Positive

A previous eviction may make it more difficult to rent your next house or apartment, but it won’t be impossible. After all, evictions can happen for a wide range of reasons. If you lost your job and were evicted due to an inability to pay the rent, a landlord may be more understanding of that situation. Stay positive as you search for rentals and explain the situation to each prospective landlord. It may take a little extra work, but there are landlords who are understanding and willing to work with renters with evictions. 

Ready to begin your search for an eviction approved apartment? Search thousands of apartments on Zumper and find one that’s right for you.

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