That one comment from a landlord about my score changed how I handle disputes

I was trying to rent a duplex in Cleveland back in 2022 and my credit was sitting around 620. The landlord didn't deny me but she left a note saying my report had too many open collection accounts from old medical bills I thought were paid. She said it looked like I was ignoring things instead of fixing them. That stung because I had been paying stuff down but not following up on the removal. So I changed my whole approach. Now after I pay something off I send a certified letter to the credit bureau with proof of payment and a request to delete the negative info. I even keep a folder with copies of every receipt and letter. Has anyone else had a landlord basically tell you what was holding you back?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair702d ago

@charles836 hit the nail on the head. That landlord gave you a roadmap most people never get. What gets me is how this applies to way more than just renting. It's the same pattern with car loans, insurance rates, even some jobs. People walk around with mistakes from years ago dragging them down because nobody tells them the specific problem. They just get a no and move on. That certified letter method you're using? That's the kind of simple fix that should be common knowledge but somehow isn't. It's like society expects you to magically know how the system works while they keep the instructions hidden. You figuring that out on your own puts you ahead of most folks.

charles8362d ago

Man, that landlord was doing you a solid whether she knew it or not. I had a similar thing happen back in 2019 with a property manager outside of Columbus. He didn't reject me but he told me straight up my score was low because of a single old cell phone bill that was showing as a charge-off, even though I had paid it years ago. I didn't even know that stuff could still hang around like that. So I did the same thing you're doing now - I started sending those certified letters with proof of payment and requesting deletions. It's a pain but it works. I've gotten three old medical collections removed that way just by being persistent and keeping good records.