One to three business days is typical once the application is complete, and same-day approval is common in buildings that run automated screening; anything longer usually means a reference or an employer has not called back.
The screening itself is fast. Credit, eviction and criminal checks return in minutes from the services landlords use. What takes days is people: verifying income with an employer, reaching a previous landlord, and a manager who reviews applications in batches. Knowing which of those is holding yours up is the useful part.
What happens in the days you are waiting
The application is submitted with the fee and the screening runs, usually within the hour. The manager then verifies income, by calling the employer or reading the pay stubs against the application, and calls the landlord references. Large managed buildings often process in a fixed order and answer everyone at once; a private landlord answers when they have read the file.
If the screening flags something, such as a collection or a low score, the file goes to a person for a decision, and that is where a day becomes three.
How to make it faster
Submit everything at once: ID, pay stubs, references with working numbers, and the fee. Tell your references to expect a call. If your income is unusual (self-employed, a new job, a guarantor), attach the explanation and the documents rather than waiting to be asked for them. Ask the manager when they review applications; if it is Tuesday and they review on Thursday, that is not a problem with your file.
What a denial has to tell you
If the decision is based on a screening report, federal law (the Fair Credit Reporting Act) entitles you to an adverse action notice naming the reporting agency, and you can get a free copy of the report and dispute errors in it. Eviction records in particular are often wrong or belong to someone with the same name. A denial for income or references is not a credit decision and carries no such notice, but you can ask what fell short and offer a guarantor or a larger deposit.
Questions people ask
Why is my apartment application taking so long?
Almost always a person the manager cannot reach: an employer, a previous landlord, or the manager themselves reviewing in batches. Call and ask which piece is outstanding, and chase it yourself if it is a reference.
Can you be approved for an apartment the same day?
Yes, in buildings that screen automatically and where income is easy to verify from pay stubs. Private landlords usually take a day or two.
What happens after you are approved for an apartment?
You are sent the lease to sign, usually within a day or two, and the unit is held for a short period while you pay the deposit and first month. Until both are paid, most landlords keep showing it.