* * PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ENROLLING NEW APPLICANTS TO OUR PROGRAM AT THIS TIME * *- Initial Consultation: Once you sign-up for our program, one of our licensed real estate professionals will contact you to get additional details about your situation and find out exactly what type of property you are looking for. We are licensed in every county in the State of Georgia and have the means to help you locate the following types of private-owned rental property in the Atlanta area. (Single-family Homes, Condos, Lofts, Townhomes, Duplexes).
- We Get to Work. We’ll start digging through our private database and making phone calls to some of the thousands of private-owned homes being offered by investors, real estate firms, property management companies, and private owners across Atlanta. These are not apartments. We specialize in private-owned houses, lofts, condos, townhomes, and duplexes. Many of these homes are not listed online and based on your timeframe, we can locate homes that may not be on the market yet, but are expected to be available in the near future once the current tenant moves out. We’ll send you pictures, addresses, features, school zones, and anything else you need to know.
- You Tell Us Which Homes You Like. Once you select homes you are interested in, we’ll contact the owners directly to find out the specific credit requirements for the property, explain your current credit situation to them and negotiate with them on your behalf. We don’t waste time showing you homes you may not get approved for. Why waste money on application fees, just to get turned down and have to start all over with a different property?
- We’ll Take You to See the House. If the owners are willing to work with your credit situation, we’ll set up a private showing so you can view the home.
- You Lease It. Once you’ve seen a home you like, we’ll handle all the paperwork with you, co-ordinate your move-in, and be there every step of the way until you sign your lease.
* * PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ENROLLING NEW APPLICANTS TO OUR PROGRAM AT THIS TIME * *
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should I Sign Up for This Program?
Our program is specifically designed for people who need to find a home to rent, but currently have one or more credit issues.
The Atlanta rental market is highly competitive. The best properties are usually rented very fast. Because of this high demand, people with credit problems are usually turned down, since most apartment complexes and property owners can afford to be selective and will usually only approve those applicants with the best credit. And since many properties receive multiple rental applications within days of coming on the market, most owners will approve the applicant with the best credit and reject the rest.
With the average application fee costing $45 – $100, that’s money down the drain if you get turned down. 99% of all apartment complexes and property owners will take your money, pull your credit, and will flat-out turn you down if you have credit issues.
Our program is designed to save you money, since we won’t even show you homes unless the owner has already stated they are willing to work with your current credit situation. We will only let you apply for homes that you are likely to get approved for, and only after we’ve negotiated directly with the property owner and they’ve agreed to accept your situation.
Additionally, we will also let you know up front how many other people have already applied for a particular home that you maybe interested in. This is especially helpful, since most owners will continue accepting applications and application fees until the home is rented and a new tenant moves in.
Do you need to have a certain credit score?
Most people who use our 2nd Chance Rental Program have credit scores under 600. With a score in this range, you are much more likely to have your rental application turned down when you apply to rent a home on your own.
Homeowners who agree to participate in our program to find good tenants are more focused on your income and overall situation, not just a perfect credit score. We are more interested in the things that created the score, rather than the score itself. As long as you have solid income, we can usually work with that.
Am I guaranteed an approval?
All final decisions are made by the property owner. We are not liable if your application is denied for any reason. However, we’ll let you know exactly what your chances of getting approved are before you submit an application. Prior to turning in an application, the owner will know your individual situation, plus you’ll know how many other applications have been received on the property you’re interested in.
Usually, the only reason people are turned down when using our service is if they haven’t been honest and fully disclosed all the negative items on their credit, or they procrastinate in submitting all their information, such as a completed rental application or proof of employment.
If a homeowner has agreed to accept your situation, but it takes you multiple days to send in your paperwork, someone could easily beat you to the home you like. The first approved applicant who turns in all their documentation and pays the deposit is usually the one who rents the home.
Remember, our service is based on information you provide to us about your situation. If for any reason you don’t disclose information and your credit report and/or background check reveals something you didn’t tell us about beforehand, we will not be held responsible for your rental application being denied.
Our best advice to you: Be honest. That’s the best way to get your rental application approved.
Is my fee refundable?
Absolutely. When you use our service to find a home, your fee for our program is 100% refunded back to you within 10 business days after you sign your lease with us.
However, if you sign up for our program and later end up finding a home somewhere else, or you change your mind about moving for whatever reason, your fee is non-refundable and compensates us for the time, gas, and resources we used in order to help locate a property willing to work with your credit situation.
What If I have credit issues but I don’t want to sign up for this program?
The average application fee can cost you $45-$100 for each property you apply to. Those fees are never refundable. Every time you let a property owner or apartment complex run your credit, you end up with another inquiry on your credit report, plus your credit score drops a few more points. If you already have credit problems, you risk having to spend hundreds of dollars on wasted application fees, plus you’re making your credit score even worse in the process.
Our program is designed to save you time and money, by making sure you only apply for homes that have agreed to work with your less than perfect credit. Plus our fee is 100% refundable once you sign a lease with us.
But the choice is yours. If you have credit problems but don’t want to sign up for our program, we can only wish you the best of luck in finding your next home. Our program isn’t for everyone. Whatever you choose, we wish you the best in finding your next home. We’ve served the Atlanta community for the past 13 years so if you ever need us, give us a call.