Landlords might refuse to rent to you for various reasons. Common ones are: prior evictions on your record, criminal history, or bad credit. Here are some common questions about these issues.
Can I have my eviction record expunged?
No. Iowa law only allows for expungement of criminal cases that resulted in acquittal or dismissal, or some, but not all misdemeanor charges. There is no Iowa law that allows for the expungement of civil case records, including evictions, even if you won the case.
What can I do to convince a landlord to rent to me if I have a bad eviction, criminal, or credit record?
You want to show the landlord that you would make a good tenant now. You should try to get good references from employers or prior landlords. If you can, you should show you have stable income. If your criminal cases or evictions were dismissed, you can print out proof of that to show the new landlord.
Can the landlord get my credit report?
Yes. If the landlord denies your application to rent, they should give you a notice with your credit report information. You can get your free credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com. If you see anything wrong, you can dispute it in writing to each credit agency. Tell the agencies what is wrong and why.