Can we get an apartment for our mom with our names on a prior lease?

Question

Our mom has been disabled by a stroke for a year+ now, but only now have we've received social security. With the money we're getting we want to put our mom in her own apartment (she can live on her own, she just can't work or talk very well) this way we aren't cluttered in our apartment and she can finally have her own place without kids.

However her credit is awful. To use her name is an instant decline as her stroke indirectly saved her from years of bills. We want to use our names as the three of us (my sister, my brother, and I) have a collective credit that is pretty appealing, but we already have an existing lease. Preferably we'd like to keep her living in our zip code, and ideally in our complex, but is that possible for us to put our names on a lease when we're already involved in one?

Answer 1

Most landlords require that the actual tenant's income be used to qualify for the rent. Your mom can only afford to pay 1/3 of her SS for rent. You are likely going to have to look into low income apartments.

No smart landlord is going to allow the three of you to sign the lease if none of you are going to be living in the rental.

They may allow one of you to sign on as a co-signer or guarantor, but not as a tenant and not all three of you.

Answer 2

Yea it should be fine. If you all have good credit and no late payments then I dont see why they wouldnt do it.

Answer 3

Sure, you just co-sign for her.  If her credit it that bad this may not be enough, but it should at least help her get a place.  Anyhow, call some places up, explain the situation, and ask if they will take her with you 2 co-signing the lease.  Of course if you do this you will both become responsible for the lease payment same as if you were on the lease yourselves.