Red-Hot Rental Markets Demand Higher Scores

Credit standards for future tenants tend to be higher in class-A buildings, of course.

DALLAS—Some cities are known for being red-hot when it comes to apartment prices and rental demand, but how competitive are metros such as Dallas, Fort Worth and surroundings in terms of tenant credit requirements? A recent RentCafé study of prospective tenant credit scores from screening service RentGrow shows that Fort Worth has the most credit-worthy tenants in the region.

Rental applicants who were approved for a lease in Fort Worth this year had an average score of 654, the 20th highest in the nation and second highest in Texas after Austin (659). Rental applicants who were approved for a lease in Dallas had a lower average credit score of 634 and those in Arlington had a score of 610, on average.