*Pay all bills in a full and timely manner -- especially rents and mortgages. If you've remained in your present apartment for a few years and have never failed to turn in your rent on the first day of each month, that's a point in your favor.

*A strong employment history, too, bodes well for you. Remaining with the same field with a record of income growth is certainly to your advantage.

*If you can evolve long-term relationships with creditors that can help establish a positive perception.

*Your credit report may be missing vital data as your home address, your telephone number and your date of birth -- or it could have you confused with someone else. Read your report thoroughly, and address any missing or incorrect items as soon as possible.
Nolo.com, an online resource both for renters and buyers, offers various tips regarding how to restore your credit.

According to the site, the average time required to rebuild one's credit to the point at which you can be accepted for a major credit card or loan is approximately two years.
Rebuilding your credit in order to obtain a mortgage is another matter. The average period required to reach that point, according to Nolo.com, is four years.

However, there's no penalty to speaking with lenders and trying to obtain credit approval faster. Lenders will want to look at the individual facts and circumstances associated with your situation -- did you have a generally good credit history in the past? Was there an event beyond your control which result in financial problems, such as medical bills, a car wreck or a company downsizing? After your credit problems, have you been re-building?

To re-build credit, start small -- perhaps a gasoline credit card or one for a department store. Pay fast and completely as the bills come in. Build up credit lines and credit histories