How Long After Bankruptcy Until I Can Rent an Apartment?

You may have sold your house amid your bankruptcy proceedings if you did not have much home equity and you had difficulty staying current on your mortgage payments. And upon the conclusion of your bankruptcy proceedings, you may think it is too soon to purchase another property. But you may even find it difficult to get accepted for a rental apartment unit. Continue reading to learn how long you have to wait after bankruptcy to rent an apartment and how an experienced Louisville, Kentucky consumer bankruptcy lawyer at Schwartz Bankruptcy Law Center can help you with the timing.

How long do I have to wait to rent an apartment after bankruptcy?

Technically, there is no established waiting period for when you can rent an apartment unit after your bankruptcy proceedings. However, you may find it to be more difficult to get accepted for a rental apartment unit if the date of your bankruptcy filing was relatively recent. Generally speaking, a prospective landlord may be hesitant to offer you the unit if your bankruptcy proceedings occurred within the past two years.

Of note, a prospective landlord may discover your history of Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy by running a background check on you upon receiving your application. More specifically, they will look into your credit report. Unfortunately, your Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing may linger on your credit report for 10 years, while your Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing may remain for seven years. This is in addition to other entries that your credit report may disclose, such as your history with foreclosures, repossessions, late payments or defaults on debts, evictions, judgments or lawsuits, etc.

How can I improve my apartment application in the meantime?

You must not let your history with bankruptcy define you in your day-to-day life, especially when it comes to applying for a rental apartment unit. This is why you must do everything in your power to prove your financial capabilities to a prospective landlord in your application.

For example, you may emphasize your solid employment history. Here, you may show that you have a longstanding history of permanent employment, along with the fact that you have steadily maintained your current job even during your bankruptcy proceedings. You may even supply a recommendation letter from your current employer who may vouch for your character.

In addition, you may place emphasis on your credible track record with past rental units and landlords. That is, you may supplement your application with a recommendation letter from your previous landlord. Here, your previous landlord may touch on how you were never late on a monthly payment and how you were overall a respectable tenant.

For these reasons alone, you must consult with a skilled Louisville, Kentucky consumer bankruptcy lawyer. Our team at Schwartz Bankruptcy Law Center is happy to advise you.