The short answer
They’re two different problems. With no credit, there’s no score at all, and you prove yourself with income and bank statements. With bad credit, the property sees a low score, and the fix usually costs money up front, like a risk fee or a guarantor. No credit is often the easier one to solve if your income is strong and you can document it.
We’re the No Credit Check Apartment Team, a licensed real estate team brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TREC #562021). Between us we have more than 20 years in real estate, working with property managers across Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. We point renters with credit, eviction and record problems to communities whose criteria may fit them, and each property makes its own rental decision.
What that means for you
No credit means there's no score to read, so the property looks at your income, bank statements and any rent history instead. Bad credit means the property can see a low score, so it usually asks for a risk fee or a guarantor.
How Texas communities handle it
Texas property managers screen through a handful of companies, including TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk, and AppFolio. Some check rent payment data from Experian RentBureau, and old apartment balances often show up through collection agencies like NCAC. Each one pulls up different information, and each management company reads it differently.
A denied application usually costs $50 to $75, and those fees stack up fast when you apply without knowing how a property screens.
For more on renting with no credit history, see our no credit history page or the related guides below.
What to do next
Don't know where to apply, or tired of paying fees just to get turned down? Don’t guess. Send us your situation and we’ll point you to Texas communities worth a look. It’s free to you; communities pay our referral fee out of their advertising budgets.
Related reading: no credit history page · bad credit · how to rent your first apartment with no credit history