Application and Screening Process
To qualify for one of our homes you will need to:
- Have each person 18 years or older submit an individual application. Full time students living with parents at the property do not need to fill out an application. Students must provide proof of enrollment.
- Each applicant group must submit an additional application through our pet screening site either stating they have no pets or submitting one application per pet/service animal/ESA. A processing fee will be charged for each pet application, but if you select that you have no pet or have a service animal or ESA there is no fee.
- No more than two (2) roommates are allowed for any of our homes.
- Be able to show that you make three times the amount of the rent in combined gross income.
- Pass our screening criteria for acceptable credit and criminal background check.
- Be able to pay your first full month's rent and security deposit in certified funds prior to moving in.
The following policies are established to ensure that all prospective applicants will be treated equally:
- Application fees paid are non-refundable.
- Security deposit is equal to one month's rent and may not be used or considered as the final month's rent.
- All approved applications are valid for up to thirty days.
- All of our properties are non-smoking.
- We do not have any homes that participate in the Section 8 Housing Program.
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Application Process
We screen our applicants very carefully. Your application will be processed promptly and we can usually have a decision made within one business day. In order to speed the process along, please be sure we have all the necessary information on your application. Each adult who will live in the property must complete a separate application. Full time students living with parents at the property do not need to fill out an application. Students must provide proof of enrollment.
Assuming your application passes the screening criteria, you will be contacted to get all the information needed to fill out the lease offer. If you do not pass, you will receive an adverse action notice through email. The lease offer is published to you electronically so there is no need for a printer or fax machine! When we are working on publishing the lease offer you will need to provide the security deposit in certified funds.
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If you have Furry Friends (Pets)
All renters with or without a pet must complete our pet screening. Pets will be reviewed and given a paw score (like a credit score) from 1-5. A pet fee will be determined by the final screening score for each pet. A flat monthly fee will be assigned to caged animals, and fish tanks will be charged by the gallon size of the tank.
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Criminal Criteria
Ensuring resident safety and protecting property are often considered to be among the fundamental responsibilities of a housing provider, therefore, a criminal records report will be run on every applicant. An individualized assessment of each applicant's criminal history will be done at the time of the application. Our goal is to treat all applicants fairly and ensure they have equal opportunities for housing. We will be looking for convictions as they relate to harm/damage to property, people, or society. We will also look at the time since the conviction occurred and what the applicant has done since release (if you have a certificate of rehabilitation please provide that).
*Illegal manufacture or distribution of any controlled substance will be grounds for denialPlease contact us so that we can discuss the offense and what options you have to proceed with your application!
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Rental Scoring
Rental scoring treats all applicants consistently and impartially. Many property owners rely upon "Rental Scores" to estimate the relative financial risk of leasing a property to you. In addition to estimating risk, rental scores are an objective and consistent way of reviewing relevant applicant information, and help speed the application approval process.
Lack of ability to fulfill any of our qualifications may justify an increase in monthly rent, or disapproval of an application.
How is my rental score determined?
Rental scoring systems assign points to certain factors identified as having a statistical correlation to future financial lease performance.Your rental score results from a mathematical analysis of information found in your credit report, application and previous rental history. Such information may include your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, collection actions, outstanding debt, income, and the number of inquiries in your consumer report. The final number or rental score represents an estimated level of risk as compared to the performance of other consumers in a range of scores. Because your rental score is based upon real data and statistics, it is more reliable than subjective methods of evaluating your information.
Any open or discharged bankruptcies in the last 12 months will likely result in denial of your application.
Any evictions or landlord collections will result in automatic denial of your application.
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Where can I have my score explained?
Should your application be denied based upon your rental score, you can learn which factors most negatively influenced your score, by contacting the consumer reporting agency listed on the denial form that would be sent to you if your application is denied. Additionally, you can obtain a free copy of your consumer report if you make the request to the consumer reporting agency within 60 days of the denial.
This information also serves as the Megan's Law notification. Most states have established mechanisms for the community to access specific information about registered sex offenders. This information may be available via the Internet, a visit to a local law enforcement agency, or by an actual notification to your home or public school. Contact www.parentsformeganslaw.com for assistance in accessing information in your community. In addition, you can go to the nationwide registry area of our state and select your state to access the link to your state's Internet registry.