Just like everything else you want to buy on credit, the higher your credit score the better for you. Renting a house is like taking out a loan since you are typically required to make monthly payments. If you’ve demonstrated through your credit score that you pay your bills on time, the landlord will be more comfortable renting to you than if you have a history of making late payments or not paying your bills at all. Note that your recent credit history is usually more important to a landlord than history from long ago. So it’s better if you’ve been faithfully paying all your bills for the last year or two and maybe had some trouble in the past than the other way around. If your credit score is less than stellar, offer to pay additional security or an additional month's rent in advance.