Anon
Miami,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, January 23, 2003
The legal maximum for a credit application fee for rental in California is $35. When you apply for an apartment, most landlords want to run their own credit report, they will take your copy but they also do their own. Most landlords have services run the reports, and it isn't just a credit check. It is public records, AKA's, checking accounts and any eviction history in a particular state. These reports cost close to $20-$25 to get, plus the time of the leasing agent. You may have been denied due to having 20% outstanding credit due, not necessarily "bad" credit. If you just purchased a vehicle, a significant chunk of your income is probably dedicated to that payment. That is a factor in a rental application. Also, California has a real housing crunch, so applying for apartments is competitive. Landlords often receive multiple applications for a unit, and they are well within their rights to pick the "best qualified" tenant, as long as they don't discriminate and apply the same standards to every application. You are entitled to know specifically why you were denied. You are not entitled to a refund of your fee. If the credit report was a factor in the denial, the landlord must give you the address of the bureau used, and you can request a copy of your report and see what might be on it. This report would be free, if you tell the credit bureau you were turned down for the application (you have 60 days to get the free copy). Also- just for your future reference--landlords don't really want tenants who have "issues" with former landlords. Even if you have a legitimate beef about a current or previous landlord, it is best not to spew about it when applying for a new place. It is like applying for a job--you don't badmouth your current or previous employer and expect to land the job. No one wants a trouble-maker.