Finding an apartment after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy will be more difficult, but it is not impossible. If you can convince your landlords that you have the will and the means to pay your rent in full and on time, you can significantly increase your chances of finding a new place to live without too much difficulty.
Before you go to a property, get in touch to ask about application procedures, as some landlords do not conduct credit checks. Smaller buildings or individual landlords may be more willing to overlook this situation.
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Apartments that accept discharged bankruptcies
There is no way to hide the bankruptcy once you file for it. Renting an apartment or house can be difficult during the two years following the completion of your bankruptcy case because it usually remains on the credit history for seven to ten years.
However, a landlord may consider more when determining whether to rent to you. After filing bankruptcy, find out how to take advantage of your benefits to improve your chances of renting a house or apartment, including:
- Having more disposable income
- Bankruptcy discharge status
- Demonstrating that you have stable employment
- Improve overall credit history
Waiting three months after the completion of your bankruptcy case is the ideal time to find a new residence. If you filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the discharge order would likely arrive after three months. Even if your credit score remains low, many people who recently filed for bankruptcy are now financially stable.
The ideal way to find a rental despite bankruptcy
As mentioned before, it is common for older buildings or private landlords to be the ones who agree to rent their property despite having Chapter 7. If you have in mind a property that does not qualify in the previous options, you can follow some procedures to try to access the rental successfully.
Honesty will be your calling card
Being open and honest with potential landlords is crucial when looking for an apartment. Landlords may already know about your bankruptcy, thanks to credit checks. But for best results, you should let landlords know that filing for bankruptcy was a necessary step to get your finances in order.
In addition, most choose to file for bankruptcy due to uncontrollable life circumstances, such as chronic illness, death of a loved one, divorce, or becoming unemployed. Providing a detailed justification for your bankruptcy petition can benefit your case.
Remember that your chances of obtaining an apartment will improve the longer it has been since you filed for bankruptcy. Also, demonstrating more responsibility in acquiring an apartment after filing for bankruptcy gives you a better chance of getting the rental you want.
Demonstrate your commitment with recommendations from previous rentals
Use your track record as a good tenant to your advantage, which you can request from your previous landlords. On the day of your meeting with prospective landlords, mention that you have always paid rent on time and have respected all the rules of your previous landlords.
Even if your bankruptcy filing continues to affect your credit score, it may convince a private landlord to give you a chance because of your excellent rental history.
Offer a larger security deposit than requested
Paying a larger security deposit is another thing you can do to improve your chances of getting an apartment. If you are still getting over bankruptcy, you may be unable to do this.
Try to save some extra money for the security deposit if you want to look for apartments that will accept bankruptcies within a few months. If the apartment requires a one-month security deposit, you can come up with a deposit of two months or more.
Where to find rentals?
Depending on your city, you can search popular rental sites or ask people you know. It is also possible to check the newspapers and evaluate recent ads where you can often find rentals of different properties.
Be sure to call and explain your situation before arranging a meeting. Although you may be able to find a rental, not everyone will be willing to lease you the property if you have bad credit and a bankruptcy on your record.
Writer and content creator interested in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Jobs and landlord issues. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication from the Andrés Bello Catholic University, VE, and I also studied at Chatham University, USA. In this blog I write and collect information of interest around agreements, property and mortgage.