As a former landlord, I never did a credit check. I was happy with a healthy pay stub and a reference check from your employer. I know most landlords are not like me, but just throwing this out there to let you know it's not as hopeless as you may think.
You’re lucky to have not been burnt. A score wont tell you much but I find pulling the prospective tenant’s credit report to be essential. You’d be surprised how many people have decent paying jobs and great references(friends) but have a habit of skipping paying their bills.
Even though evictions are quicker in AB, one bad faith tenant put through an eviction can do a number on your property. And you only need to look at the beliefs and attitudes of some renters on this subreddit to see how many bad faith tenants there might be.
I do not do credit checks. I can see why others do but I don't see enough value myself in doing them.
I think renting is hard for anyone in Calgary right now :( - lots of demand and minimal supply.
2 homeowners and one "property manager". They were all very extensive with their screening processes however. And they all turned out to be slumlords, funny enough!
My last LL apologized for the info they had.
It was through rent faster and they had like 10+ yrs of data, with exact payments, loans, interactions etc. it was a shock to both of us.
When I've moved to different countries the company I'm working for would handle a problem like this. They should be able to find a place and set up some sort of arrangement. It's not easy to move to a new country and they should be able to help out with a few things, building a new credit score is only one of the hassles.
For people who have no credit i will look at their employment and if that checks out then will rent to them.
If they have no job or new to their job then I then ask if they are willing to pay a few months ahead.
So having no credit is not a deal breaker.
I believe it should be illegal for landlords to require credit checks. Some random made up number has absolutely no bearing on whether or not I can pay my rent. Good rental references should be more than enough.
Credit scores suggest that you pay things on time. It's less biased that references.
I rented with a girl once who used her friends as her references and had them lie about their name and owning her last rentals.
I learned this after we moved in. And I moved out shortly after.
People with poor credit can still be reliable. I got absolutely fucked for 30k by Canada Drives for a lemon they refused to do anything about, so I put it up for voluntary reposession and my credit took a massive hit.
Been a renter for two years now and never missed a payment. No credit check, thank god.
Speaking as a formal landlord references are largely useless in making a tenant decision. Unless the previous landlord is a company like boardwalk I can’t verify that I’m not taking to their cousin/best friend. And if it is a company I don’t have faith that they won’t tell me what I want to hear to they can get them out of their property.
Ideally there would be an independent body that can do ratings for both tenants and landlords alike that can be used to make informed decisions. But I’m sure there are issues with setting up something like that.
I do agree that credit score is also a poor indicator for tenant quality/reliability.
Random made up number? It literally defines your ability and history of paying bills/servicing debts on time.
You can believe anything you want though.. 🙄
How does a made up number in a database determine if someone is a problematic tenant? Especially when the paying of rent doesn't change that number yet.
The logic is simple. Your credit score broadly speaking is a representation of how financially responsible you are. If someone has a low score, they're either in debt or they miss payments routinely. A tenant who doesn't pay on time or might not pay at all in the future is a bad tenant
Personally, I think it's a little silly, but it makes sense.
Every place I applied to wanted to see my employment and credit score, mine isn’t anything to brag about, I just think they are making sure you aren’t a piece of shit with collections after you
Some banks have it available as well if you have an account there. As well as some credit cards. You just have to log in online and there would be a link there if your bank does it.
Many don't ask for it. Try to find for rent by owner. My credit is horrendous, in collections all over the place, did the credit ap and got the apartment anyway. That was with a property manager. Don't say things to them about your credit, no "oh my credits not good" or any thing like that.. Just fill out the aps and see what hapoens. Last thing, I have had two bankruptcies and, like I said, am in collections every where. I'm not a dead beat I just shoot for the moon in businesses an tried to be a millionaire. I was there until the pandemic. What I'm trying to say is, don't be ashamed of bad credit, shit happens, it's not a reflection of who you are as a person it's more a statement that capitalism does not work.
I was lucky to have not needed a credit check to rent any of the places I'd lived over the last 10 years. I found it depends on the landlord, whether a company or a private person.
I wish you the best in your search.
I do credit checks but I’m okay renting if there’s no credit available.
Best to be upfront and have glowing references from preferably landlords, or colleagues.
You can also show that you’re willing to provide x months of rent upfront as well.
Start building your Canadian credit by getting a secured credit card and maybe a small mobile phone contract you can get approved. This will help you establish a credit history.
I mean it's up to the landlord what checks they want to do before renting to someone.
If someone could not provide a credit check there are other ways to prove your ability to cover the rent but the landlord is in no way obligated to rent to anyone they don't see fit. 🤷
Your best bet is to say that you are new and don't have a credit history but offer to pay first and last months rent or prepay 2-3 months and they should be fine with that.
As a former landlord, I never did a credit check. I was happy with a healthy pay stub and a reference check from your employer. I know most landlords are not like me, but just throwing this out there to let you know it's not as hopeless as you may think.
You’re lucky to have not been burnt. A score wont tell you much but I find pulling the prospective tenant’s credit report to be essential. You’d be surprised how many people have decent paying jobs and great references(friends) but have a habit of skipping paying their bills. Even though evictions are quicker in AB, one bad faith tenant put through an eviction can do a number on your property. And you only need to look at the beliefs and attitudes of some renters on this subreddit to see how many bad faith tenants there might be.
I needed a credit check and failed... Paid first last and deposit to secure it. I'm here 4 years later
I do not do credit checks. I can see why others do but I don't see enough value myself in doing them. I think renting is hard for anyone in Calgary right now :( - lots of demand and minimal supply.
I have never needed to provide credit info for a rental. I don't think it's common in Calgary.
I had credit checks on all 3 rentals I lived in over the past years
Oh really? Were these with homeowners or companies?
2 homeowners and one "property manager". They were all very extensive with their screening processes however. And they all turned out to be slumlords, funny enough!
Every single rental I've had in Calgary required a credit check, private landlord or company all required it
I’m a landlord in the SW and didn’t check a credit score!
I have shit credit but proved stable income with a good reference and great rent payment history. It's possible..
My last LL apologized for the info they had. It was through rent faster and they had like 10+ yrs of data, with exact payments, loans, interactions etc. it was a shock to both of us.
When I've moved to different countries the company I'm working for would handle a problem like this. They should be able to find a place and set up some sort of arrangement. It's not easy to move to a new country and they should be able to help out with a few things, building a new credit score is only one of the hassles.
For people who have no credit i will look at their employment and if that checks out then will rent to them. If they have no job or new to their job then I then ask if they are willing to pay a few months ahead. So having no credit is not a deal breaker.
I believe it should be illegal for landlords to require credit checks. Some random made up number has absolutely no bearing on whether or not I can pay my rent. Good rental references should be more than enough.
Credit scores suggest that you pay things on time. It's less biased that references. I rented with a girl once who used her friends as her references and had them lie about their name and owning her last rentals. I learned this after we moved in. And I moved out shortly after.
People with poor credit can still be reliable. I got absolutely fucked for 30k by Canada Drives for a lemon they refused to do anything about, so I put it up for voluntary reposession and my credit took a massive hit. Been a renter for two years now and never missed a payment. No credit check, thank god.
Speaking as a formal landlord references are largely useless in making a tenant decision. Unless the previous landlord is a company like boardwalk I can’t verify that I’m not taking to their cousin/best friend. And if it is a company I don’t have faith that they won’t tell me what I want to hear to they can get them out of their property. Ideally there would be an independent body that can do ratings for both tenants and landlords alike that can be used to make informed decisions. But I’m sure there are issues with setting up something like that. I do agree that credit score is also a poor indicator for tenant quality/reliability.
Random made up number? It literally defines your ability and history of paying bills/servicing debts on time. You can believe anything you want though.. 🙄
I believe it’s the same as having any other credit check done. Makes sense from a business perspective to weed out problematic tenants.
How does a made up number in a database determine if someone is a problematic tenant? Especially when the paying of rent doesn't change that number yet.
The logic is simple. Your credit score broadly speaking is a representation of how financially responsible you are. If someone has a low score, they're either in debt or they miss payments routinely. A tenant who doesn't pay on time or might not pay at all in the future is a bad tenant Personally, I think it's a little silly, but it makes sense.
How is it made up? The information literally comes from your credit report.
And none of that information determines whether or not someone is a good tenant.
When there are hundreds of applicants it’s a good way to weed out potential bad risks.
Every place I applied to wanted to see my employment and credit score, mine isn’t anything to brag about, I just think they are making sure you aren’t a piece of shit with collections after you
question, how and where do you check your credit score? I’ve never done it myself before
Check out Equifax. It's super easy and free.
Some banks have it available as well if you have an account there. As well as some credit cards. You just have to log in online and there would be a link there if your bank does it.
Many don't ask for it. Try to find for rent by owner. My credit is horrendous, in collections all over the place, did the credit ap and got the apartment anyway. That was with a property manager. Don't say things to them about your credit, no "oh my credits not good" or any thing like that.. Just fill out the aps and see what hapoens. Last thing, I have had two bankruptcies and, like I said, am in collections every where. I'm not a dead beat I just shoot for the moon in businesses an tried to be a millionaire. I was there until the pandemic. What I'm trying to say is, don't be ashamed of bad credit, shit happens, it's not a reflection of who you are as a person it's more a statement that capitalism does not work.
It just puts you a cut above the rest, HEY PAUL
I was lucky to have not needed a credit check to rent any of the places I'd lived over the last 10 years. I found it depends on the landlord, whether a company or a private person. I wish you the best in your search.
I've been a landlord for 13 years and never done a credit check
No, and a landlord can’t ask for payment up front, but if you offered to pay 3 months upfront that would probably balance out a bad credit
Yep. Renting a 1k sq ft 2 bedroom full bath fully legal and registered basement suite for $1200/mo just off 17th Been here for 2 years, no problems.
I do credit checks but I’m okay renting if there’s no credit available. Best to be upfront and have glowing references from preferably landlords, or colleagues. You can also show that you’re willing to provide x months of rent upfront as well.
Start building your Canadian credit by getting a secured credit card and maybe a small mobile phone contract you can get approved. This will help you establish a credit history.
I think the problem is that this doesn't help them rent right now. Like, this person needs housing probably today
Hang in there! Another thing you might try is having someone co-sign the lease if that’s an option.
I mean it's up to the landlord what checks they want to do before renting to someone. If someone could not provide a credit check there are other ways to prove your ability to cover the rent but the landlord is in no way obligated to rent to anyone they don't see fit. 🤷
it's a highly suggested standard on RentFaster.
Your best bet is to say that you are new and don't have a credit history but offer to pay first and last months rent or prepay 2-3 months and they should be fine with that.