I have been working alot with rentals lately, and I been speaking to alot of different folks about their needs for good rental housing. It also seems that I been working with alot of folks who are going thru the forclosure process. I like to help everyone I can.  I enjoy helping folks. So here are some tips I can provide from my different experiences.  Good credit, or bad, these can help you find that perfect rental.

Run your credit at www.freecreditreport.com.  See what is going on there.  Especially if your going thru a foreclosure. See what your score is. Most important, clear up anything else that is on there.  You cannot get the forclosure off your record for a few years, but if everything else is looking good it will not be a problem finding a nice place.  Landlords look at car payments and credit cards the most.  Also look for issues with collections. So get anything else you can cleaned up. That will make a huge difference.  If you have a strong credit score, in the 700s, you can bargin for cheaper rent.  I seen it happen, and you can open doors with a strong score and payment history.  Landlords will make consessions, because your history of payment will show your not going to be late.

Start about 45 days out of your move out date.  Most rentals seem to come online the last week and first week of the month.  If your wait till the last minute, you will be limited on your choices. 

Your going to need your employment history verified, so make sure you got that info together.  Speak to your HR rep.

If you do not have much credit, your score will be low. Do not worry.   Collections matter the most.  If you have a history of late payments, that will cause issues.

For those who are young and went to college, make sure you start paying your student loans.  That will help you raise your score, and show you have good payment history.  If you can make double payments, do it. 

I would also keep your debt down till you secure the place.  Get the new car after you secure the rental.  Keep credit card debt to a minium. 

Just a couple of tips I can think of right now.  Most important, work with a great agent on finding you a home.  They can help you find stuff that suits your needs.

Carl