Jenster

We just moved here to the Chicago suburbs, and we're finding it impossible to find an apartment to rent without any credit history and no SSN. The SSNs were applied for this week but they're saying it will take about 4 weeks to be issued. In the meantime we need to find a place to live as our extended stay hotel, nice as it is, is a bit too expensive and a bit too out of the way.
Can anyone give me any ideas/tips on what we can do? Thanks!

BritGuyTN

cash - lots of it

Pay 3 months deposit up front.

this will reduce the landlords risk because if you do mess up then that should cover him during any eviction proceedings

BigDavyG

Not sure where in Chicago you are or what SS office you used, but they should be able to give you the actual number within 48 hours - the card will follow some time after.
You could check out the various corporate housing providers such as 12oaks to see if they are any more flexible re requirements.

scrubbedexpat099

How good is your Spanish?

Jenster

We're in Lake County, we applied Tuesday at Prospect Heights for our SSNs. My husband called them today and they said it takes two weeks to verify the visa conditions before they can issue the number, and then we have to go in person.
We've tried offering cash and reference letters etc but nobody even wants to talk to us. The corporate places come out more expensive than where we are so they're out too.
Any other ideas? My spanish is minimal...

fatbrit

Use an apartment locator service. Give 'em something to work with, i.e. a bank statment showing $$$, a payslip showing employment.

Soon as you've got the SSNs, start working on your credit.

Bob

without credit history, it'll be tough getting any utilities without a big deposit on anything anyway.

Jenster

We've been here 6 days - no bank statement from the credit union account we've had 5 days and no payslip yet as my husband has only been working 5 days - and doesn't have his SSN.
Don't you have to pay for apartment locator services?
I'm not trying to sound ungrateful, it's just that I've looked at all the obvious solutions. I need something a little less obvious!

fatbrit

There's certainly a premium to be paid for being fresh off the boat!

USBound

ask your husbands company to help you out either by providing a guarantor letter or cash.

Paul S

we managed to arrange our accomodation before we came over (luckily the rental manager was a friend of a friend so some strings got pulled, that and the guarantee letter from me employer ) SSN still took about 4 weeks to come through due to the systeem. Bank account with no SSN was a doddle (National City), as was the credit card (honest we must have got lucky ). IIRC the biggest deposit was for the gas company and i'm pretty sure it was only around the $90 mark.

penguinsix

Work with the landlord to find a solution. If you are seeking to rent an apartment in a big building run by a large management company, than your chances of negotiating something that will 'get by' until your SSN and credit is ready are slim. If you are looking to rent a house from some small landowner, he might be able to do a bit of a deal.

Things to consider offering:

double the normal deposit for X months until credit is ready
guarantee letter from company.
paystubs from company.
copy of visa.

I would check http://chicago.craigslist.org/ for their chicago listings, and small newspapers in the area. Most online apartment searches cater toward the large apartment buildings run by professional management companies, which probably isn't what you want.

If that isn't working, consider renting a 'corporate apartment' on a month-to-month basis, or renting from someone who offers short-term leases (they have them). Sometimes you can get really lucky and find someone who wants a 'house sitter' while they go away for a four week business trip or something. There isn't usually a credit check in these situations, just a deposit and a bit of trust. This might be able to tide you over until you have credit and can rent your own place.

kel.n.issy

Hi, when we arrived in Fort Collins, CO,3 months ago We manage to rent the usual way as long as the Hubbies company gave a reference and we put down the required bond and months rent in advance, His ssn number took about 6 weeks to come through and none of the utilities even asked for it, the only one who we have to give a $50 up front was comcast cable, which covers our phone internet and tv so you can do it just need to find the right company.

Good luck and maybe try Craigslist or something for private rental they may be more likely to offer than a rental company

issy

mdyoung

SSA offices started a new verification procedure on the 6th, so if the where the SSN application was submitted followed the new procedure it may take a lot less than 4 weeks.

The old way was check to SAVE then mail a G-845 and wait for that to be mailed back from the local immigration verification office. The new system allows the SSA office to submit an additional electronic verification request. Only if that comes back requesting copies of the documents then the G-845 is mailed. The additional verification requests go to a central location, so the response time should be more uniform no matter where your SSN application is submitted. The G-845 request if needed still gets mailed local.

I would go back to the office and ask if the additional electronic verification was submitted and have them see if a response came back it it was. Plus if one wasn't be sure they do submit one.

Jenster

Thanks for the responses everyone. So far we didn't manage to find a private landlord who was willing to rent without a credit check and ssn, even on Craigslist. Plus as we can't drive we can only look in certain areas and the only corporate housing that wanted to rent to us is too far from where we need. Looks like we'll be depleting the savings to stay here in the dolls house for a few more weeks.