Renting an apartment isn’t the easiest process. From finding the right apartment to signing the lease, there’s generally a lot of stress involved. In addition, if your credit isn’t so good, then you may struggle even more to find the apartment of your dreams.

But taking the necessary steps to improve your credit before renting an apartment can save you so much stress and open more options. Let’s look at four ways you can improve your credit before renting your next modern apartment in Sage Valley.

Pay All of Your Bills on Time

Even if you’re starting out with bad credit, paying your bills on time is the best way to improve it. Paying them on time for an extended period of time can greatly improve your credit and show good credit history when credit checks are done. Try to always avoid late payments; otherwise, your credit could take a hit.

Become an Otherized User on a Credit Card of Someone With Good Credit

This isn’t a well-known tip, but it’s super useful for those who don’t want their own credit card but still want to improve their credit. If you have a family member or close friend who is great with their credit and pays their credit cards on time, become an authorized user on their card. Even though you won’t be managing the card, your credit will still improve as they continue to pay and manage their own credit well. This is a great way to get started and build credit if you don’t have any. Or to simply improve your own without any of the work.

Pay Off Your Debt

If you have any outstanding debt, the best move is to pay this off as soon as possible. If you aren’t able to pay all of it off, aim to have less than 20% of your approved-for credit used. So if you are approved for $10,000, try to use less than $2,000. This will improve your credit score immensely.

Open a Secured Card

If you’re struggling with a low credit score, you can open a secured card and begin using this. Be sure to make all payments on time. This is a safer way to build credit, and it's easier to open this type of card than a regular credit card if your credit is bad.