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Even if you are not ready to buy a house, you can still face many obstacles simply getting approval to rent a house or an apartment. You could have previous evictions or damaged credit. Maybe a background check will reveal previous troubles. Even without these obstacles, saving enough money to pay a security deposit and the first month’s rent can be very difficult without help.
Would a loan for rent help you get into the apartment or home that you may not otherwise be able to afford on your own? You might be tempted to obtain a loan for rent payments, thinking that it will help make it easier for you to make the transition. In all actuality, such a loan would likely be disastrous. Fortunately, most applicants who pursue such ill-suited loans cannot qualify due to insufficient income or damaged credit.
If you do not have money to pay your rent or for a security deposit, then the only solution is to make a change so that you have enough income in order to put aside for that purpose. A loan requires that you have enough income to meet all of your monthly liabilities plus extra funds to repay the loan. A loan is not for someone who doesn’t make enough money to get by. Applying for a loan when you are in this situation will surely end in denial, unless you make an even worse mistake by obtaining a payday loan.
Instead of going into debt to subsidize your cost of living, consider other options. First, if you are doing the best you can to earn money and are still considered very low income, you may qualify for rental assistance. Rental assistance programs can vary from cash payments to use toward moving into a new apartment to subsidized rent programs that can chop your monthly rent payments in half or even lower.
If the rent is too high to afford, it can help to determine what help might be available, which can depend on where you live. See what local rental assistance programs you might qualify for in order to get the help with rent you need without taking on more debt. These programs can lower your monthly payments, thereby leaving you with more cash to use toward your other living expenses.
You should be able to live in a safe and clean environment. You can do better if you get help paying rent from one of these programs run by local government agencies and nonprofit charities.