Can You Rent With a 600 Credit Score? A South Florida Playbook

By Zach Curtis, licensed agent, Realty Hub, SL3664129. Updated October 18, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

A credit score around 600 does not rule you out in South Florida, but it does change where and how you apply. Minimum scores are set listing by listing (and building by building in condos), so the goal is to apply where you fit and bring a stronger file than the score alone. Our older post on renting with bad credit covers lower scores.

Where a 600 score tends to work better

• Homes and units outside a condo association. Only the landlord screens you, and individual owners can weigh the whole picture. Today 233 of the 2237 live listings in our feed have no unit number in the address and are not marked condo, a rough sign of a house, townhome or small building.
• Owners who have had the unit on the market a while. Flexibility tends to grow with time on market.
• Nearby cities with more houses and townhomes: West Park, Pembroke Park, western Hollywood.

Asking rents (not signed leases) from the long-term $1,500 to $6,000 listings in RentedFirst's BeachesMLS feed, calculated when this page loaded. Seasonal and short-term listings are excluded. The no-association count is a rough address-based estimate; Zach confirms each one. Updated October 18, 2026.

Where it is harder

Large condo towers often have association screening with their own criteria on top of the landlord's, and some management companies use automated screening with fixed cutoffs. It is not impossible, but ask the minimum before paying two application fees.

What can offset a lower score

1. A guarantor or co-signer with strong credit and income, who signs on the lease.
2. A larger security deposit, if the landlord offers that option. In Florida, the landlord's handling and return of deposits is governed by section 83.49, Florida Statutes.
3. Prepaid rent, sometimes offered by applicants with savings. Get the terms in the lease.
4. Strong income. Well above the landlord's income multiple, often about 2.5 to 3 times rent.
5. A clean rental history with a reference from your current landlord.
6. An explanation letter for a past problem that is resolved, such as medical debt or a job loss.

Prepare before you apply

• Pull your reports free at AnnualCreditReport.com and fix errors.
• Pay any rent or utility collections if you can; ask for a paid-in-full letter.
• Have proof of income, bank statements and your guarantor's documents in one folder.

Tell your agent your range up front

RentedFirst's form has an optional credit range field (under 600, 600 to 649, 650 to 699, 700+). It is only used to match you with listings whose owners are likely to approve, so you do not waste fees. Credit screening is a business criterion applied equally to all applicants; it is never a reason to steer anyone toward or away from an area.

Start with live lists: under $2,000, under $2,500, 3 bedrooms.

Fair housing: every listing is open to everyone. We describe buildings, prices and processes, never who lives where.

Also bring proof that recent bills are current, such as 12 months of on-time rent or utility payments. A recent record of on-time payments can matter as much as the score itself.

Avoid these mistakes

• Applying to many buildings at once and paying fees you lose.
• Leaving a collection off your explanation, then having it surface in screening.
• Using a guarantor who has not agreed to share documents yet.

Finally, be honest on the application. An accurate application with an explanation is far more likely to be approved than one that leaves out something the screening report will show anyway.

Frequently asked questions

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