 TITLE: Do You Need a Credit Score to Rent a House or Apartment? CONTENT: Landlords consider several factors before accepting you as a tenant. To help make their decision, they'll typically use the following information.\n*   **Income**: You'll generally need a gross monthly income equal to three to four times the amount of the monthly rent. For example, to rent an apartment for $1,200 per month, you'd need a gross monthly income of $3,600 to $4,800. Use pay stubs, W2 tax forms or bank statements to document your income. If you're looking for apartments and starting a new job soon, ask the employer for a letter confirming your start date and salary.\n*   **Credit report and credit score**: The landlord can check your credit report and credit score, looking for a history of on-time payments and red flags such as past-due accounts, accounts in collections and bankruptcies. They'll also consider your monthly debt and whether your income is sufficient to handle it and still pay the rent.\n*   **Tenant screening report**: Landlords aren't required to report rent payments to credit reporting bureaus, but some do. To review your rental history, landlords typically use tenant screening reports that provide background information on rent payment history, evictions, unpaid rent, broken leases or other indicators of your desirability as a tenant.\n*   **Personal identification**: Landlords need personal data such as your name, birthdate, current and previous addresses and contact information, as well as identification so they know you are who you say you are. END