👋🏼 Hey there! We are Lighthouse, a new apartment locating firm based in Texas that has a full service marketplace to find listings.

Notably, we offer cash back on rent at over 6,000 different properties. On our map, you’re able to browse and find units that you might like, or you could work directly with one of our locators for free.

This is our comprehensive guide on how to find and secure a lease.

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Renting with restrictions is hard work.

We understand that navigating the rental market with certain background issues can be a challenging and overwhelming experience. This guide aims to provide you with valuable resources and tips to help you find a place to live and overcome any obstacles that may arise.

In this document, you will find links to helpful articles, websites, and tools to help you better understand your rights and options when it comes to renting with issues like criminal records or broken leases.

Some of the most challenging restrictions include

Rental History, such as broken leases or evictions
Financial History, such as bankruptcies, low or no credit, foreclosures
Legal Troubles, such as felonies or misdemeanors

We wrote this guide to help. There are a few sections:

1) Understanding Restrictions. What are the issues, and why do they matter to apartments

Qualification Criteria Overview

2) How To Get Approved. Tips, tricks, scripts, and everything in between

Recommended Scripts

3) Building Lists. A comprehensive database of buildings that are known to work with rental background issues. This is one of the best resources on the internet!

Building Lists

4) Other Important Resources. Closing out with some links you might find helpful.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/4e4b34e0-2dda-42df-8fbf-cfccf2c74124/Green_Logo2.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/4e4b34e0-2dda-42df-8fbf-cfccf2c74124/Green_Logo2.png" width="40px" /> Using Lighthouse (lighthouse.app)

Earn cash back on rent. Lighthouse is paid a referral fee when you lease a new apartment. Renters are guaranteed to earn $100 with any new lease and up to $1,000 on some. The cash back is paid directly to you through Paypal, a gift card, or even by connecting your bank to receive a direct deposit.
Learn best practices. As professional locators, we know the ins and outs of the application process and can provide valuable tips to best improve your odds.
Save on application fees. Applying and getting rejected is painful. That’s why we’ve created this quick guide so you’ll have a better idea of how to get approved.

Lighthouse - Earn $1,000 Cash Back on Rent

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<aside> ⚠️ How much does this cost?

Lighthouse is a 100% free service. However, we accept voluntary payment through reviews and referrals should you love the experience.

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1) Understanding Restrictions

Why is it so hard to rent if you have previous background issues?

Finding an apartment that will work with rental issues is challenging. Property managers want renters that can pay rent, and they also want to keep their community safe. As a result, they have policies in place to screen renters. The most common challenges renters with background restrictions face are:

Wasted Time. Finding an apartment that will work with rental issues is a time-consuming process. It involves lots of calling, confirming policies, and finding availability.
Lack of Clarity. Apartment policies are unclear and very inconsistent— what leasing agents tell you may differ from the building’s actual policy. Most of the time, apartments use a third-party system to run the background check, so you won’t know if you’ll be approved until you apply and find out.
Rejection and Stress: Rejection is unfortunately common, and hearing many “no’s” in a day can be taxing and disheartening.
Higher Expenses. Application fees are expensive, and not having a place to call home can lead to staying in pricier places like hotels and Airbnbs.
- Renters with issues may be asked to pay an additional month’s rent for the security deposit.
- Applications often require non-refundable fees upwards of $200, even in the case of a denial.
Limited Choices. The number of apartments that work with issues is limited. Having multiple issues compound the situation.

Check out our detailed overview of each issue.

We put this together so that you understand what these issues mean and their implications on renting. Feel free to let us know if there are more things we can answer.

<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/8de50be1-8f63-4f69-b330-222b563e4c6a/item.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/8de50be1-8f63-4f69-b330-222b563e4c6a/item.png" width="40px" /> Rental History

Broken Leases FAQ

Evictions FAQ

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<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/de3a0975-0b5e-4e1f-a877-9405431369e1/item.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/de3a0975-0b5e-4e1f-a877-9405431369e1/item.png" width="40px" /> Financial History

Bankruptcies FAQ

Credit Issues FAQ

Foreclosures FAQ

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<aside> <img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/10735244-084e-4f74-b21f-6be435096720/item.png" alt="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/10735244-084e-4f74-b21f-6be435096720/item.png" width="40px" /> Legal History

Legal Issues FAQ

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