To qualify for an apartment, you generally need to prove three things: that you earn at least three times the monthly rent, that your credit and rental history show you pay on time, and that your background doesn’t raise safety concerns for the landlord. Most landlords look for a credit score in the mid-600s or higher, verifiable income, references from past landlords, and a clean or explainable record on eviction and criminal background checks. The rest is paperwork and fees.
Income and Employment
The standard benchmark is the three-times-rent rule. Your gross monthly income, meaning your earnings before taxes and deductions, should equal at least three times the monthly rent. For a $2,000 apartment, that’s $6,000 a month in gross income. Landlords use this ratio to be confident you can pay rent and still cover utilities, food, transportation, and everything else.
To verify income, landlords typically ask for your last two to three months of pay stubs, or a signed offer letter if you’re starting a new job. They also look at stability. Six months to a year of continuous work with the same employer or in the same field is what most property managers prefer to see. Frequent job changes or long gaps can raise questions about whether the income will keep coming.
If you’re self-employed or work freelance, plan on submitting more. Two years of federal tax returns (Form 1040) and several months of bank statements showing consistent deposits are the most commonly requested records. The landlord uses these to calculate an average monthly income and compare it to the rent. Organized, easy-to-read records go a long way when your income doesn’t fit the standard W-2 shape.
Credit Score
Your credit score tells the landlord how you’ve handled debt. Many set a minimum around 620 to 650, and higher-end buildings may want scores above 700. Recent screening data puts the average approved applicant near 680. Late payments, collections, and bankruptcies all signal risk that rent could be late too.
If your score is lower than you’d like, you have options. One is rent reporting, where a third-party service reports your on-time rent to one or more of the major credit bureaus, building history over time. Adoption is still small, with roughly 7 percent of renter households using rent reporting services as of 2024. Landlords may also accept a larger security deposit or a co-signer to offset credit concerns.
Rental History
Landlords rely heavily on what previous landlords say about you. Expect calls asking about late payments, lease violations, noise complaints, and the condition you left the unit in. A strong reference can sometimes outweigh a mediocre credit score.
Evictions are the biggest problem. An eviction is a court proceeding to remove a tenant, usually for unpaid rent or repeated lease violations, and it can appear on a tenant screening report for up to seven years under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Long Can Information Stay on My Tenant Screening Record An eviction on your record often leads to an automatic denial, though some landlords will weigh the circumstances, especially if the eviction is old and your recent history is clean. If an eviction was caused by a billing error or resolved in your favor, pull the court records showing the outcome and bring them to the application.
Criminal Background Check
Most landlords run criminal background checks against national and local databases. Offenses involving violence, property crimes, or drug manufacturing are frequently cited as grounds for denial. Recency matters. Many landlords use lookback periods of five to ten years, so older convictions may carry less weight.
Federal fair housing guidance discourages blanket bans. HUD’s Office of General Counsel issued guidance in 2016 advising all housing providers, not only those in HUD-assisted programs, that overly broad criminal record exclusions risk violating the Fair Housing Act. The guidance recommends an individualized assessment that considers the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, the applicant’s age at the time, their tenant history before and after the conviction, and evidence of rehabilitation.2Federal Register. Reducing Barriers to HUD-Assisted Housing Landlords still get to set safety standards, but the standards have to apply consistently to every applicant and be narrowly tailored.
Documents to Have Ready
Getting your paperwork together before you start touring can be the difference between securing a unit and losing it to another applicant. Most landlords ask for:
- A government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport.
- Proof of income: two to three months of recent pay stubs, or a signed offer letter for a new position. Self-employed applicants should bring two years of tax returns plus several months of bank statements.
- Your Social Security number, which the landlord needs to pull your credit and background reports.
- Rental history: names, addresses, and contact information for your landlords going back two to three years.
- Employment verification: your current supervisor’s name and phone number so the landlord can confirm your job and salary.
- Personal or professional references, if the application asks for them.
If you plan to request a disability accommodation, such as keeping an assistance animal in a no-pets building, have documentation from a qualified healthcare provider ready when you apply.
Submitting the Application
Most applications go through a property management company’s online portal, though smaller landlords may still take paper forms at a leasing office. Expect a non-refundable application fee, which covers the credit report and background check. Amounts vary by state — some cap them, others don’t — but $30 to $75 per adult is common. Some landlords also take a separate holding deposit to pull the unit off the market while they review.
Review typically takes one to three business days. The main variable is how fast your employer and previous landlords respond to verification requests, so give them a heads-up that a call or email is coming.
If You Fall Short: Co-Signers, Guarantors, and Bigger Deposits
If your income or credit doesn’t clear the bar, a co-signer or guarantor can help. Both agree to take on financial responsibility if you don’t pay, but the timing differs. A co-signer signs the lease with you and is responsible from day one for any missed payment. A guarantor typically becomes liable only if you fully default, so they act as a backup rather than an equal partner on the lease.
Either way, that person has to pass the same screening you did, and landlords often require them to meet a higher income bar, commonly four to five times the monthly rent. The higher threshold exists because the co-signer or guarantor is covering their own living expenses on top of possibly covering yours. Make sure they understand this is legally binding and that unpaid rent can lead to collections or a lawsuit against them.
A larger security deposit is another way to offset weaker credit. How much a landlord can charge depends on your state. Limits typically range from one to three months’ rent, and more than a dozen states impose no statutory cap at all.
Money Due at Move-In
Qualifying financially isn’t just about monthly rent. You also need cash on hand for move-in costs, which can stack up fast:
- Security deposit, usually one month’s rent but sometimes more if your credit or rental history is thin.
- First and last month’s rent. Some landlords collect both up front, meaning you could owe three months’ rent before you get keys.
- Pet deposit or pet rent if you have an animal — often a $200 to $400 refundable deposit plus $25 to $50 per month. Service animals and emotional support animals are exempt from pet fees under the Fair Housing Act.
- Renter’s insurance, which many landlords require as a condition of the lease. Policies cover your belongings and liability, often for under $30 a month, and you’ll need proof of coverage at or before move-in.
Fair Housing Protections
The federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for a landlord to deny your application based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing A landlord cannot reject you because you have children, because of your ethnicity, or because you use a wheelchair. Many state and local governments add protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and age.
Source of income is a common surprise. If you plan to pay rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), federal law offers only limited protection. About half the states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting landlords from rejecting tenants solely because they pay with a voucher, and more than 150 cities and counties in other states have similar local ordinances.4Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development. Public Housing Authorities and Source of Income Discrimination Check your local rules before assuming a landlord can legally refuse your voucher.
The Act also requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations when necessary for a person with a disability to have equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing The most common example is assistance animals. Even in a no-pets building, a landlord must allow a service animal or emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation. The landlord can ask for written documentation confirming that you have a disability, that the animal is needed because of that disability, and that the animal actually provides assistance, but they cannot charge pet fees or pet deposits for it.5ADA National Network. Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial doesn’t have to be the end. Find out why. If the landlord rejected you based in whole or in part on information from a consumer report — your credit report, background check, or tenant screening report — federal law requires them to give you an adverse action notice.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S. Code 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports The notice must include:
- The screening company’s name, address, and phone number.
- A statement that the screening company did not make the decision; the landlord did.
- Your right to a free copy of the report if you request it from the screening company within 60 days.
- Your right to dispute errors, which the screening company must investigate within 30 days.
Common errors worth disputing include a paid-off debt still listed as delinquent, an eviction that was dismissed, or criminal records belonging to someone else. Dispute them right away and send supporting documents.7Federal Trade Commission. Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights Once the report is corrected, ask the screening company to send an updated copy to the landlord. Some landlords will reconsider with accurate information.
If you believe the denial was discriminatory, you can file a complaint with HUD or your state or local fair housing agency at no cost. Save every email, text, and note from phone calls with the landlord; those become your evidence.