Apartment renting after bankruptcy
Question: Hi! I filed a bankruptcy in Quebec in may 2005. I moved in Ontario last november. I currently live with roommates and I want my own apartment for april 1st. I’ve been in apartment for 5 and a half years now and I never missed a payment. I applied on several apartments in Toronto and I’ve been refused everytime because of the credit check. Even if I earn 37,000$/year and I have excellent references, it doesnt seem to make a difference with landlords. I need to find an apartment now and I can’t get one.
What should I do?
Answer: Unfortunately many landlords will not rent to you if there is anything negative on your credit report, including a past bankruptcy. You have two choices.
First, talk to the landlord and plead your case: advise them that you haven’t missed a rent payment in five years, and tell them that you have your deposit for first and last month’s rent.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to rent from a landlord that doesn’t do credit checks, so instead of renting in a big apartment building owned by a corporation, try to rent a basement apartment owned by the homeowner who is probably more interested in first and last month’s rent than they are in your credit report.
A bankruptcy is automatically removed from your credit report six years after you are discharged, so your problem should resolve itself in the next year or two in any event.