23 Nov Do I need to lift my credit freeze for a landlord to check me out?

Q. My credit reports are frozen. I’m going to be a guarantor for my adult child, who is getting a new apartment. Do I need to lift the freeze?
— Guarantor

A. A credit report freeze is a great way to protect your finances and your identity.

When your credit report is frozen, if a lender tries to check the report — say, because you or someone wants to open a new credit account in your name — the lender won’t be able to access it.

That would stop a scammer who is trying to impersonate your identity, but it also stops you from applying for credit.

But you can temporarily lift a credit freeze for a set time period if you want to make sure a lender, or yes, a landlord, can check you out.

The big three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — all allow you to set a start date and an end date to lift your freeze.

So when a landlord is going to run a credit check, you will need to lift the freeze, an Equifax spokeswoman said.

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This story was originally published on Nov. 23, 2023.

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.