No Rental History? How Are You Supposed to Get an Apartment?
WHEN TEMPORARY BECOMES PERMANENT · Personal experience & practical information · 7-minute read
A series about getting stable while life keeps happening.
You’re trying to get an apartment. You open the application, start filling it out, and then: Previous landlord. Rental history. References.
Okay. Small problem.
What if you’ve been living in hotels? Staying with family? Moving between places where your name was never on a lease?
You have a history. You’ve been living somewhere. You might have been paying a lot to stay there, too. It just doesn’t fit neatly into the boxes.
And when you’re already exhausted from trying to find somewhere stable, another application can feel like another place where you have to explain your entire life.
When “for now” lasts longer than you planned
I’ve spent years living in hotels while working toward a more stable place to call home.
During that time, I’ve also been raising a family, going to college, and building a business. Everyday life keeps moving, whether your housing situation is settled or not.
There are things I keep private. But I’m sharing this because someone reading might be in a similar situation and wondering whether anyone understands. I understand what it’s like to want to move forward while still having to get through today.
“Just get an apartment” leaves out a pretty significant part of the conversation: everything that has to happen between wanting one and actually being able to move in.
What do you put on a rental application when you have no rental history?
Start by looking closely at what the application asks for.
Address history asks where you lived. Rental history generally concerns your experience as a tenant. Landlord references ask for people who can speak about that experience. An application may request more than one.
If your situation doesn’t fit, ask the property manager how they want it recorded. Describe your living arrangements accurately rather than inventing a landlord or lease to fill a box.
Massachusetts Legal Help’s rental-history guidance, written by Greater Boston Legal Services, recommends explaining gaps, including periods spent with family, friends, or in a shelter. It also identifies other ways applicants may demonstrate reliability, such as certain payment records or references from employers and shelter staff.
That gives you a specific question to ask: “I don’t have a traditional rental history for that period. What other documentation will you consider?”
It isn’t a guarantee of approval. Requirements and decisions vary by property. But getting a clear answer can help you understand what this particular application needs.
When my own housing search involved a notary
During my housing search, I was asked for five years of rental history. Mine didn’t look like five years of traditional leases and landlord references.
At one point, I was told to get a written letter from someone who could vouch for me—and have their signature notarized. So yes, I’ve personally been on the other side of that “now you need a notary” moment.
And now I’m a notary myself. Funny how those parts of my life connect.
That was a request made in my particular situation. It doesn’t mean every housing provider requires or accepts the same thing, or that five years of rental history is automatically a statewide legal requirement.
Before arranging a letter or paying for notarization, ask whoever is reviewing your application:
Who can provide the letter?
What information do they need it to contain?
Do they require a particular form?
Is notarization actually required, and what notarial act or certificate do they need?
Notarization does not prove that someone was a good tenant or guarantee housing approval. The notary verifies the signer’s identity and performs the required notarial act. Depending on that act, it may involve an acknowledgment, witnessing a signature, or administering an oath or affirmation. The person making the statement remains responsible for what it says.
Already been asked for a notarized letter?
Through EmilesGroup LLC, I offer mobile notary appointments from Franklin, MA, serving communities across MetroWest, Greater Worcester, and Southeastern Massachusetts, subject to availability and a confirmed travel quote.
If your housing provider has requested notarization, you can view my mobile notary services and appointment information.
For a reference letter, the person whose signature needs notarizing must attend the appointment—not just the applicant bringing in their letter. Check the appointment and identification requirements before booking.
I can help with an eligible notarization. I don’t determine what a housing provider will accept, provide legal advice, or guarantee a housing outcome.
The part an application doesn’t show
An application might have a blank space where a landlord’s name would usually go. It doesn’t show the effort that went into keeping somewhere to sleep.
It doesn’t show someone keeping their phone connected so they don’t miss a housing call. Or searching for records after work. Or fitting appointments around school pickup.
When your living situation is complicated, even explaining it can become another task. Where did you stay? What were the dates? Who can confirm that? Do you still have the paperwork?
Those questions may have a purpose. They can also take time and energy to answer—especially when your records don’t look like a neat sequence of leases.
For me, one of the hardest parts of temporary living has been planning a way out while still paying for and managing the life happening right now. Tonight still needs to be covered. So does tomorrow.
The move you’re working toward has to compete with the life happening right now.
“Just save up” sounds easier when your present is already covered
Saving for a move makes sense. The difficult question is: What is actually left after you get through the week?
Depending on someone’s circumstances, temporary living can mean hotel bills, storage, extra transportation, or food costs shaped by whatever cooking space is available.
Then there’s the time spent making calls, gathering paperwork, following up, and figuring out the next requirement. Apparently, life does not pause while you work on your five-step plan.
That’s the part I want this series to explore: how the cost and effort of maintaining daily life can make it harder to leave a situation that was supposed to be temporary.
A useful plan has to account for both things—what it takes to move forward and what it takes to keep going until then.
Four questions to ask before your next rental application
If you don’t have a conventional rental history, these questions can help you get clearer information:
Does this property require previous landlord references, or will it consider other references?
How should I list time spent in a hotel, shelter, or someone else’s home?
What records would you accept for those periods?
Can I include an explanation of gaps or unusual circumstances?
When possible, keep the answers and your records together somewhere you can access again. A simple timeline of where you stayed may help you avoid reconstructing the same dates every time.
None of this removes every barrier. It gives you a starting point for a more specific conversation.
For Massachusetts readers, the Massachusetts Legal Help guide linked above provides more detail. Questions about your legal rights or a particular denial are best directed to a qualified housing attorney or legal-aid provider.
I’m still figuring this out, too
I’m still living in a hotel and working toward more stable housing myself. I’m not writing from some perfect finish line. I’m writing while going through the process, with questions I want to investigate and experiences I think deserve more attention.
I’ll be documenting parts of that journey here: the progress, the frustrating requirements, the things that help, and the moments that make me ask, “Okay, but how is someone actually supposed to do this?”
Some things will stay private. But I want to share enough that someone else feels less alone—and that we can ask better questions together.
How do we make the path toward stable housing usable for people whose lives haven’t already been stable?
That’s one of the questions behind When Temporary Becomes Permanent. This series will explore the paperwork, costs, expectations, and everyday complications that can stretch “for now” far beyond what anyone planned.
I’ll be sharing more here on the blog as I work through it.
Have you experienced something similar?
Has a temporary living situation lasted longer than you expected? Have everyday expenses, paperwork, or requirements made it harder to move forward? If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d like to hear from you.
I’m gathering voluntary reader experiences to help shape future articles and understand what people want investigated. What I learn may also inform practical resources, including a workbook I’m developing that may eventually be offered for sale.
Use the private contact form below to send a brief message for me to review. If you’d like a reply, you can leave your email and give permission for me to follow up.
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About the author
Emily is the founder of EmilesGroup LLC, a college student, and a mother navigating long-term hotel living while working toward stable housing.
Sources and further reading
This article shares personal experience and general information. It is not legal advice, housing placement assistance, or a promise of approval. Property requirements vary.
