How long will delinquent bills stay on a credit report once I start paying them?

I am trying to move into an apartment. My past credit is bad and I am trying to fix that. But first thing is first, I have to find a place to live. I have been turned down by a few places because I have too many delinquent bills. I am gonna start paying them back, but I wanna know how long it takes to show that I am making payments to anyone who runs a credit check?