Rentals

You may need to establish credit in order to rent an apartment. Establishing credit may take a few months, so plan accordingly.

Tampa Bay CDC is a non-profit agency that is available at no cost to you. They will help you to establish credit and teach you how to maintain good credit. To reach a counselor at Tampa Bay CDC:

• 727-446-6222 (Pinellas)
• 813-849-1121 (Hillsborough)
• www.tampabaycdc.org

You can try to establish credit on your own by opening a store charge or line of credit. If you do this, MAKE SURE you don’t go over 40% of the amount of credit extended to you. Example: for a $100.00 line of credit, don’t charge more than $40.00. If you do…your credit will show up as bad.

Start saving money! Most rentals require you to pay first and last months rent, and another month’s rent as a security deposit, all before you move in!

Once you establish credit, now you’ll want to obtain a list of available rentals. Log on to Realtor.com and check out the rental section. You’ll be able to search by area of town, price and number of bedrooms. Make sure if you own a pet (or are planning to get a pet), that you disclose that to your landlord. Many apartments don’t accept pets, and if they do, will charge a non-refundable pet fee. A typical pet fee is $250.00.

If you don’t have internet access, stop by a Real Estate office and ask to speak to someone who handles rentals.

Subsidized / Section 8 Rentals:

If you qualify for a section 8 rental, a government agency will subsidize your rent. Find out if you qualify for subsidized rent by checking with your local welfare office.

Neighborhood Housing Service of St. Petersburg or Clearwater can help you find a rental or prepare you for Home ownership.

• St. Pete NHS 727-821-6897
• Clearwater NHS 727-442-4155