application fee / screening criteria
Download a pdf of the screening criteria.
Applicant Screening Criteria
To cover our costs for screening, we charge a fee of $20 per applicant.
This covers the expense of the credit report we will run. This fee is non-refundable,
so before you send in your check we want to make sure you understand the
criteria we use when we screen applicants. If we fill the vacant apartment
before running your credit report we will contact you to refund your screening
fee.
Identification
Upon request, applicants will provide two pieces of personal identification,
at least one with photo.
Application Process
We encourage you to review the screening criteria to determine if you meet
the requirements. Each applicant over 18 must submit a separate and complete
application and pay the screening fee. We will endeavor to provide acceptance
or denial as quickly as possible, in most cases, within 7 days. If we cannot
reach references or do not receive responses, we reserve the right to deny
an application for lack of information. We encourage applicants to provide
as many alternate means of contacting references as are available (email,
multiple phone numbers, fax numbers).
Rental Agreement
Upon acceptance, you'll need to sign your rental agreement and pay your
security deposit, pet deposits and first month’s rent within 3 days.
We do not consider an apartment “leased” until we receive your
deposit and signed agreement.
Housing References
We place the most weight on your prior housing references. You must provide
the information necessary to verify current and previous rental history for
the last 3 years. We reserve the right to request up to an additional 2 years
of rental history. References from landlords to whom you are related by blood
or marriage viewed as potentially biased, and given a bit less weight. If
your housing history includes home ownership, we will consider your mortgage
payment record.
Credit
Credit worthiness will be determined from a credit report. Your rent history
should be free of evictions. Any patterns of late payments, bankruptcies,
collections, judgments and other significant derogatory items may require
further explanation and can be grounds for denial of your application. However,
we would like to stress we do not expect our applicants to necessarily have
perfect credit. We place more overall weight on your rent payment history.
Source of Income
All sources of income must be legally obtained and verifiable. We may ask
you to provide proof of income through income tax returns, W-2 forms, paycheck
stubs, investment reports, employer verification or other financial data.
You are not required to disclose support or alimony payments. We will consider
all sources of employment and non-employment income you choose to disclose.
Stability of the source and the amount of income will both be considered.
Rent-to-Income Ratio
Your gross (pre-tax income) should be around 3 times the rent. However, if
you have a verifiable history of higher rent-to-income ratios, little or
no debt or other extenuating verifiable circumstance, this rent-to-income
ratio may be exceeded. If a substantial amount of your income or rent will
come as a gift or loan from another individual, we reserve the right to request
that person provide a statement of intent to provide this assistance and/or
cosign on the rental agreement.
Limitations
Occupancy may not exceed two people per bedroom. Smoking is not forbidden,
but our preference is for “porch” smokers or non-smoking applicants.
Pets require additional screening: Please see our pet policy. Aid animals
are always welcome.
Arrests and Convictions
Arrests and/or convictions may be evaluated. We will deny the application
of any individual whose occupancy could constitute a threat to the health
or safety of other individuals or could result in physical damage to the
premises.
Demeanor and Behavior
We will consider your behavior and demeanor of the during the application
process.
Incomplete, Inaccurate or Falsified Information
Any information that is incomplete, illegible, inaccurate or falsified
may be grounds for rejection or termination of the rental agreement
upon discovery.
We reserve the right to hold any incomplete application for completion
before we begin screening. It is your responsibility to be sure the
application is completed, so review it carefully before sending it in.
Variance Policy
Failure to meet the screening criteria, may be grounds for denial of
your application. However, at our sole discretion we may accept any
applicant who does not meet these criteria with the requirement to
pay an additional
amount of deposit or obtain a cosigner. Cosigners may be required
to complete
the application, pay the appropriate screening fee and meet our screening
criteria.
