How to Get an Apartment With a Broken Lease

Evidence of a broken lease can count against you when you look for a new rental. After all, no one wants a prospective tenant who might break a lease again. When deciding whether to approve an applicant, business administrators and landlords place heavy emphasis on past rental records. However, some companies or landlords understand that issues such as failed expectations, unavoidable emergencies or economic distress do occur. You'll find alternatives to finding an apartment even if you have a broken lease on your rental history.

Instructions

1

Emphasize the reason for the broken lease. In some cases, issues of apartment violence or military deployment dictate exceptions. Offer verification of such information with legitimate paperwork, such as police reports, military orders or insufficient repairs, which will justify the reason for severing a lease. Or contact previous leasing professionals or public officials who can vouch for your story.

2

Consult with an apartment locator office in your area. Agents know the rental criteria of surrounding apartment complexes. Inform the agent of your broken lease before the consultation begins. An agent should be able to pull a list of communities that will approve someone with a broken lease.

3




Low vacancies may cause rental terms to loosen up.

Find areas with a high surplus of available apartments. Most of these apartment communities compete against each other to fill long vacancies. Also, search for new apartments because sometimes manager specials offer discounts and less stringent requirements on the approval process.

4

Ask a cosigner, such as a friend or family member, to go apartment hunting with you. Most times, apartments will accept a co-signer pending credit approval even with your rental history.