Oh My Apartment

When you’re filling out a rental application, you’ll almost always be asked to list an emergency contact. On some applications, you may be asked to write down as many as three names and phone numbers. Who do you put down? Your parents? Another family member? A friend? A co-worker?

The biggest question is which family member or friend would be your best emergency contact. Many renters simply list their parents, regardless if they’re still living in the same city as them.…

More than a few landlords charge an application fee for prospective tenants. If you’re looking at more than one apartment, though, those application fees can add up quickly. But you don’t have to take those fees at face value.

An apartment manager uses application fees to cover the cost of making sure that a prospective tenant won’t cause trouble — it goes to pay for a credit check and any other tenant screening the landlord deems necessary.

But application fees aren’t…

Over the years, it’s possible to pick up a few dings on your rental history. Unfortunately, even just a ding or two can make landlords look at a rental application with a little more scrutiny. It is possible, however, to overcome a shaky rental application and get the apartment of your dreams.

Just how you go about your rental application can depend on what problems appear in your history, but a general willingness to discuss any issues on your rental…