Talked to a landlord who told me my 620 score was still doable

I was at a rental open house in Phoenix last Saturday and got honest with the property manager about my credit. He said "620 is not the end of the road, just means you show proof of income for 6 months." That hit different because I've been avoiding applying for a year thinking I needed a 700. He said some landlords actually prefer tenants with rebuilt credit because they pay on time to keep the place. So I applied for a duplex and got approved with a 625 score and a cosigner. Has anyone else found a landlord who works with mid-600 scores?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.leo12h ago

Appreciate you sharing this, seriously. I had a similar thing happen last year - I was stuck at a 635 and just assumed every door was closed. Finally found a small time landlord who straight up told me "I'd rather rent to someone who cares enough to fix their credit than someone with a perfect score who might be careless." Landed a decent townhouse with just three months of pay stubs and a utility deposit. It's wild how much the conventional advice screws people over when real landlords out there are way more flexible.

sean_barnes249h ago

Jump on the smaller rental sites, not the big ones... those corporate places have software that auto-rejects anything under 700. Little landlords actually talk to you.